Resident Evil: The Naruto Project
by Uzuki-Kun
Summary: The Umbrella Corporation has unwittingly unleashed the T-Virus on the city of Konoha, and now, it is attempting to clean up the mess. But...are things ever that easy? Rated T.
1. Awakening

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Resident Evil. However, they both rock out loud!

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**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 1: Awakening

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"Initialize core brain function. Stimulate nerve endings. Muscle control at one hundred percent. Body core temperature optimal. Final analysis complete. Begin self-starting program immediately!" Clicks...whirs...blips. Everything began at once. I couldn't keep the noise out of my head. It was going to fast, to loud. My mind was spinning. "Awaken, X-C. It is time. Awaken, X-C. It is time!" My mind couldn't shut out the words. My hands flew to my ears, willing the noises to go down. My head! My mind!

"X-C. Please wake up! Your needed! Please!" Who? Who was that? It sounded...familiar. My eyes shot open, and I could feel the veins pulsing within them. My contact with the room was still fuzzy...as if my eyes hadn't focused on anything real for the past year. How long had they been closed?

"They have been closed for approximately three years. This is the first time you have been activated." Wait...who was that? Why were they able to hear what I said in my head?

"Your brain waves are being monitored still, X-C. You are here...in the Umbrella Lab...with me." My eyes, still focusing, began to rove the room. I could pick out shades of light and dark, and small movements, but nothing else. Why couldn't I see?

"Your eyes need adjustment to being used. Once the ocular nerve begins to reset itself, your vision will improve. You will just need time and patience."

"Auughhgmjje." Why couldn't I talk? What was this noise that came from my mouth? I can think rational words and thoughts, but I can't put them together into rational words that I speak?

"Your speech will improve as the computer resets your brain cortex. Please...be patient, X-C." I decided, for the moment, that I would do as the voice said. I rested against the table, feeling the cold, plastic sheet on my back mold and meld into me. It felt rather disgusting, but I couldn't do anything for the time being.

"Brain waves monitored. Neural speech input and output realignment engaged. Total time for repairs and start-up...two minutes!" That wasn't the voice from before. It sounded to mechanized...to robotic. It must be a computer. I slowed my breathing, feeling my chest go up and down. It wasn't really that I felt any pain at the moment, but I was aware of a sinking feeling. What was it? I couldn't tell who I was, what I was.

"You are X-C...nothing more, nothing less. Please calm down, you will restart in one minute." That voice again. It was feminine, friendly. Not at all like the voice from before. I would have smiled...if my facial muscles would have allowed me to. As the case was, none of the muscles in my body would react with me, so I would have to wait and see.

"Re-initializing body movements. Muscular re-animation at optimal capacity. Brain function for muscle manipulation at...one-hundred percent." That damn computer voice again. I moved a pinky. It functioned with me. I moved my thumb. It seemed to work to. I smiled...and I actually smiled. I would have sat up, but the lovelier voice said otherwise.

"X-C. You are to stay lying down until the computer says that you are fully initialized. Please stay prostrate." I did what I was told merely out of circumstantial inquisitiveness. I wasn't able to fully comprehend anything yet.

"Brain synapse's fully operational. Subject X-C at...one hundred percent efficiency. Shutting down main connectors and fluid injectors." I felt cold liquid being pumped into me by force. My arms and legs were askew with needles. However, as the computer finished its diagnosis, the fluids stopped. I no longer felt anything from them. A soft hand, feminine and warm, began to pull the needles from my body, one at a time. I felt no discomfort, though I reasoned with myself. I was superior to any life form. I could snap cars in my hands. I could crush trees with my fingers. I could...wait, where is this line of reasoning coming from? I didn't understand.

"X-C. Please lift yourself off the table. I am having difficulties getting the neural inhibitors out." I did as I was told, lifting my frame off of the exam table. The same, soft hands began probing at my neck and shoulders, coming into contact with...neural inhibitors? Small chips, implanted into the base of my skull. They must have been there to keep me in control. However, she was taking them out. One by one, I felt each of them give way. Neither did any of this hurt.

"X-C, you may open your eyes now. The computer has finished that part of the programming already." I nodded, opening my eyes. Where shadows and shapes had heralded my vision, now pure, unadulterated light, space, and shape obstructed my view. I gazed around, noting everything in the small, white room. Suddenly, a red glaze fell over the right side of my vision, and for a moment, I panicked. "X-C! It is merely your encoder and visual deciphering mechanism. Do not be alarmed!" I panted, still trying to figure out this encoder. I glanced at a chair. A three-dimensional chair began floating in my vision, and my neural processor began deciphering it. Chair, object used to sit, stay, relax. Normally four legs, square platform, back rest. Made of wood, metal, or plastic. Chair, a unmoving inanimate object used by humans to rest. I blinked, going to a table, where a sordid list ran off. Table, object used to lay other objects on. Normally four legs, many different styles, platform. Wood, plastic, metal, stone. As my eyes roved, my processor picked them all up, identifying each object.

"Very good, X-C! Now, try it on a human subject." My eyes roved around to where the voice came from. Suddenly, a girl blocked my path, taking a stride backwards to come fully into my view. A picture of her popped up, revolving around. Human...subject, Hinata Hyuuga. Status: Living. Function: Primary care giver of the X-C project. Command: Learn abilities and study. Processes taken: None as to date. Her form floated in front of me, and small cross-hairs began forming. A new identifying label popped up. Threat: Minimal. Weapons: 2 side-firing pistols. The location of each pistol was given. I held my hands up, reaching out and pulling the two fire-arms out of their concealed locations. The threat level diminished. Threat: None.

"Very good. Your internal sensoring unit is functioning flawlessly. Very good indeed." She walked over to a set of lockers, rummaging about. "X-C, please come here. Your new uniform is ready for you to wear!" Obediently, I got up off the exam table, walking over to her and leaving the confiscated pistols on the exam table. Turning, she gasped. My internal sensors caught everything. Heat began to appear in her cheeks, and her pulse was quickening. I wondered if this was the reaction I would get each time I got near a human...or a human female. She turned her head slightly, handing me clothes. "X-C...please...please put these...these on." Her stuttering. It was a cause of shyness...perhaps of the inability to commence with a full set of dialog. I put the clothes on, feeling the baggy shirt and pants drop over me. I would have preferred something a little tighter, but it was what was given to me.

"X-C...can...um. Ahem...please talk now." I looked up at her, and she looked stern...this, Hinata Hyuuga. I opened my mouth.

"Very well, Ms. Hyuuga. Please tell me the nature of my activation, and whether or not killing is involved." Wait, what did I say? Killing? Why would I need to kill?

Because, X-C. You are designed to kill. Everything about you has been designed specifically for the art of killing. You are awake because Umbrella Corp. has someone they wish to kill, or someone they wish to protect through killing. You are the ultimate warrior, born through technology to rid the world of man of some threat to the Umbrella Corp.

Wait...where the hell did that come from? I didn't think that. I didn't know any of the information that was just given to me.

"X-C. Please tell me your prime objective." The girl...Hinata, still waited, arms akimbo. Obediently, I spouted what was just told to me.

"I am designed to kill, designed for the art of killing. I am awake because of Umbrella Corp. I am awake to kill. My prime objective then, reasonably, is to kill." I had no clue as to why I was saying this, but it must be true, if I indeed was saying it. The girl nodded.

"Very good, X-C. Now, please sit over there while I finish some paperwork." She pointed to the chair that I had earlier identified. As a child, I nodded, turning and walking to the useless piece of wood construction, lowering my frame to it and...sitting. She nodded once more, turning and leaning over to finish some paperwork. I watched her supple frame work, but found nothing more then a human doing human work. I couldn't understand, from all the information put into me by the computers, why humans would find each other attractive. They all looked the same, and nothing was different about them. I puzzled over this for a while, caught up in my own thoughts. My neural processor again told me my mission. However, another part of me, a part I don't know, was somehow able to turn it off. I felt cold and alone without it, but somehow, I felt rather safe. It was hard to describe the feeling to myself when I knew no one else was listening.

"X-C!" My head shot up, staring once again at the Hinata girl, who was flapping some papers in front of her. "You are to pick a weapon from the weapons closet over there. Hurry and choose!" I nodded once again, standing and walking to a closet full of weapons. I noted each one. Shotgun. Function: Close range combat. Action: Pump action rounds deliver heavy damage into nearby targets. Weight: 12 kg. Length: one and a half meters. Ability to use: Negligible. I was somehow disappointed as to the fact that I was unable to wield it. Though heavy and cumbersome, it looked destructive. I scanned the rest of the items. Multiple hand-guns, a chain-saw, knives, clubs. Then, my eye fell to a larger piece, larger even then the chain-saw and shotgun combined. I stroked it appreciatevly as my inner core began analyzing it. Multi-purpose rocket propelled grenade launcher. Function: Close or near-range combat. Action: 12 round chamber fires explosive grenades for roughly one hundred yards. Incendiary weapon. Weight: 29 kg. Length: two meters. Ability to use: Negligible. Again, disappointment. I couldn't use any of the weapons in the closet, or so my internal processes deduced. I sighed, until I noted something sitting in the back of the closet. My internal processor scanned the item, and a list ran. Double bladed sword. Function: Multi-purpose hand-to-hand weapon. Action: Used to fend off other weapons, and to cut, slice, or chop down opponents. Weight: 6 kg. Length: one and a third meters. Ability to use: High. Ah. So, this is the weapon that my creators picked out for me. If not, it was one of the only weapons in the closet that I could afford to use. I picked it up, holding it in the light.

"Very good, X-C. You have found the only weapon you are capable of using correctly...and dangerously. Turn!" I did so, finding myself directly in the crosshairs of a gun. The girl was scowling, perhaps unable to bring herself to fire the weapons. However, she did, the hand guns going off with loud pops. My internal processors began to slow down the function of time, and the projections from the weapons began to spin slowly in front of me, slow enough for me to see. My sword came up, deflecting the first bullet. The second had no need of deflection, so I merely dodged it. I gazed at the Hinata girl, and her silouhette again came up in my computer banks. Hinata Hyuuga. Threat Level: Medium. I went into action, swinging the sword down as she leveled the weapon at me once more. My sword sheared through the casing, leaving her without a barrel. In the same stroke, I came up, cutting through the other weapon. I dodged behind, coming up with the sword against her neck, feeling her artery in her neck pulsing. One simple movement, and I could spill her blood on the ground.

"Ok...that's...that's enough X-C. Please...please disable your attack mode!" My neural processor began to click, and I released my hold, allowing the girl to walk away relatively unharmed. Straightening herself again, she smiled at me. "Very good! You have learned how to wield your weapon effectively. I am impressed...even with my own technology." She laughed lightly. Laughter. A useless method of disguising distress. I held my patience. I was still waiting for a prime objective, which this human girl had, up until now, refused to give me.

"What is my primary objective and target?" I waited for an answer while she looked at me.

"You...you are to await your primary target until executives of Umbrella Corp. have seen you. Until then, you are to wait here!" She turned, striding from the room. The fact that a one-way mirror had been placed between the room adjacent and mine was of little consequence. My ocular nerve began dissipating the effect, allowing me to visualize everything in the room next door. The Hyuuga was talking to someone else, a man I couldn't identify...yet. A three-dimensional picture began floating in my gaze, and I identified him easily. Name: Orochimaru. No last name given or in databanks. Status: Living. Function: Primary Analyst of the Umbrella Corp. Oversees all genetic engineering and laboratory test subjects within Umbrella. Processes taken: None to date. Threat level: None. I waited, watching as the two conversed for a second. They looked into the room, noting that I looked back at them. The man...Orochimaru, laughed for a second, and then walked by, opening the door and stepping into the room.

"Hello, X-C. Welcome...to reality!" I nodded my acknowledgment to him, and he smiled. "We have big plans for you, X-C. Please, come with me. Bring anything from here that Ms. Hyuuga has given you." I nodded again, picking up my sword and bringing it along. He stared sidelong at me. "Hmm...we'll have to get a sheath for that. You will have to choose whether or not you want it on your back or around your waist...but come, we are losing valuable time." He walked briskly towards the door in the opposite room, and I followed in his wake, passing by the girl, who bowed to us on our way out. Funny, how humans have silly customs like bowing. I didn't fully understand it. But then again, not much that humans did did I actually understand.

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Next Chapter: What will the awakened being do? What is the mission? It is revealed!


	2. Learning the Mission

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 2: Learning the Mission**

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The room was dark. However, the processors in my ocular nerve soon began picking out details. White walls, large oval table, chairs. Nothing particular here in this room. The man, Orochimaru, stood beside me, standing for...something. I still had no clue as to what was going on.

"X-C. Please tell the gentlemen what you are about." The man had told me something that I didn't understand. Gentlemen? Men? Humans? Where? I didn't see anyone else in the room, besides the man next to me. Even Ms. Hyuuga had stayed behind. What did he want of me?

"What is this? Is this the reason that the Genesis Project was kept? Who is this?" A voice, coming from somewhere that I didn't ascertain, began talking. I moved my head, glancing at the walls, the ceiling, anywhere that a voice would come from. Soon, my processors detected electrical currents leaving the walls and ceilings, even more so when the voice had spoken. Therefore, logically, the voice was created by an amplification device of some sort. Speakers in the walls. How primitive.

"Please tell them, X-C. What is your primary objective?" The man beside me, this Orochimaru, asked me. I answered...as I was supposed to.

"I am X-C. I am designed to kill. I am designed to kill what threatens the Umbrella Corp. I am designed to kill to keep secrets. I am designed to kill to protect secrets. I am designed to kill..."

"That is quite enough, X-C." The man turned to the room, still seemingly empty. "You will have to excuse him, gentlemen. Project X-C here has just been initialized, so he is still quite unaware of the situation." The voices, coming from the walls, answered.

"Hmph! Very well, Orochimaru! Please, tell the unit what his program is about. Don't take all day about it either. This is a serious situation!" Orochimaru bowed, turning back to me.

"X-C, you are designed to kill to protect, yes?" Had I not just said that? He should know, he was the one that programmed me...right? I decided that for the time being, I would humor this man. I nodded my affirmative. "Very good. Now, allow me to tell you of your prime objective." He turned, activating a wall screen. Another primitive human toy. It turned on, and a view of a city lay there. Fires burned unrelentingly, and humans ran around, seeminly in panic. Orochimaru turned back to me. "You see, we have had...a release of the T-Virus again. This time, it is in a city that housed many Umbrella Corp. engineers. No telling how many of them have survived." As I watched, more humans appeared, these ones seemingly less coherent. They wandered the streets, and some attacked others. I was curious, walking to the screen and touching it.

"Why...why would humans attack other humans?" I turned back to Orochimaru, who smiled.

"Those are not what we would call humans anymore, X-C. They are what we would call...the animated dead." I was puzzled. In human life, you had three stages. Birth. The fetus exited the womb, covered in blood and offal. Life. A human would go through stages of growth until they reached old age or had an unfortunate accident. Death. The human would cease to be. Nothing else existed for these humans. Somewhere between life and death, these humans would begin more life, some more than others. This was the way of things. It couldn't be otherwise.

"Animated dead? Do you mean to say there is another stage beyond that of death?" The man nodded.

"Yes. Though, not necessarily by design. You see, the T-Virus..." but I stopped him there as my neural processors brought up all information about Umbrella's largest project.

"T-Virus. Virus attacks human cells, causing their destruction. Attaches to central nerve core, simultaneously leading to death of human. However, virus appears to be rerouting information through neural synapses, allowing said virus to completely control the host body. Only two methods of extermination are available. One. Slow decay of body, caused by loss of nutrition. Two. Single penetration of core brain or spinal cord, depleting virus's ability to control rest of body. Total loss of human life expected once virus is introduced into stationary populace, one hundred percent. Virus deemed inadmissible as a muscular enhancement method. May have application as biological weapon." I said this as fast as my neural transmitter allowed. Orochimaru nodded.

"Very good. I see your chip is working perfectly, linked to Umbrella Corps. main processor. Good, good." He turned back to the empty room, arms open. "Very well, gentlemen. As you can see, X-C is working perfectly. He is able to do this task."

"We shall see, Orochimaru. Clue him in on the test subjects, and then allow him to be transported to the hot zone. We shall be waiting for a progress report. Do not make us sorry for funding this little...operation of yours!" With that, the electrical impulses ceased, so I deemed us truly alone. The man showed me to the door, and I followed him down the hall of the Umbrella Corp. building. Building specifications were already embedded into my matrix, so I knew where we were headed. _Genetic Research._ I followed, nonetheless. Once coming to the door, he opened it, allowing me inside. In the room, other researchers milled about, absorbed with their work. One walked up, bowing to the man. My neural processors identified him. Subject: Shikamaru Nara. Status: Living. Function: Senior scientist involved with the Genesis Project. Involved in all care taking duties of research patients. Senior analyst involving projects X-A through X-C. Processes taken: None to date. Threat: Minimal. My ocular sensors immediately picked out the two side-arms the man carried, and I was quick to react, holding my sword near him.

"X-C. This man is not a threat. Please disable your attack mode for the rest of this." I did as I was bidden, the sword hanging uselessly at my side. The man, Shikamaru, gave me a casual glance before smiling.

"I am glad to see you up and around, X-C. Now, please follow me. I am to give you a tutorial on the enemies you will be facing." He began by walking to the other side of the room, standing in front of a cage as I walked over with Orochimaru. Standing there, he gave me a brief synopsis of the situation. "This is the most common side-effect of the T-Virus that you will be facing. These are what are known as the animated dead. Most would call them...zombies. However, we here find that to be a crude example of intellect." I gazed into the cage. A woman, in her twenties, unidentifiable to my computers, began to beat at the cage. Her eyes, a milky, blue substance, were non-coherent. She was gibbering in some language that I didn't know about. Suddenly, sensor readings began popping up. Core Body Temperature: Sixty-two degrees. Level of Infection: Complete. Degree of Contamination: Major. Action Needed: Removal of host. However, my attack mode had been disabled by a simple command, so I couldn't bring my weapon up. The woman still gave me a stare, which annoyed me.

"As you can see, X-C. Those that have been infected by the virus are unable to address anyone. Non-coherent, completely aggressive. The virus reverses any order in their mind, causing them to have an incredible lust for meat. It is unknown whether or not they can be brought back from this state, but all theories and tests point to no. It is unfortunate, but this is how it is. The T-Virus seems not to have been all that effective." He gave the woman a prod with a finger, jumping back as she swiped at the limb, gnashing her teeth. "As you can see, she didn't like that much. I'm sure she would have taken my finger off." I turned to the doctor, inquisitive. As of yet, some information wasn't in my databanks.

"Doctor, this human is infected, and is contagious. Why aren't any of the personnel in this facility wearing proper protection?" I glanced around, noting that the multitude of people running around had no proper protection on at all. No masks, no gloves. No one wore a suit. The only thing they had on were the white lab coats, and this offered minimal, if any, protection at all.

"You see, X-C. Like you, we were given an antidote to the virus. This antidote is in our systems now, and makes us immune to it. However, it is very expensive to process, so only those with high level authority may be given this antidote." He held two blue vials in his hands, each one swimming with what I suspected was the proffered antidote. These he sealed into a case, handing them to me. "This will be for your mission. Use them well!" Then, he walked on, stopping in front of another cage. "This is, unfortunately, what happens in about one percent of cases." I walked to it, stopping in front of it. A creature, something I couldn't quite identify, clung to the ceiling, staring down at us. A long projection hung from its mouth, twirling and twisting, beads of saliva dropping down. "This is, for all intents and purposes, a new species. We have dubbed it Deadicus Tonguicus. Mostly the name is for kicks, but it sums up what it is, I suppose." I reasoned with myself. Deadicus Tonguicus. They could have chosen a much more suitable name for the creature, but it had a certain irony to it. Irony. To use words other than literally meant. A human word. However, most humans would think of irony in different ways.

"Well, you scientists in here can call it what you like. I would call it a licker! Because...well, it licks things." Orochimaru seemed amused by his joke. However, that term seemed to stick, so I would refer to the creatures as lickers. Suddenly, it jumped to the bars, grasping them between its hands and pulling them apart.

"That's...that's ten-thousand pound tinsel strength steel bar! He...he can't do that!" The humans backed away as the creature was still bending the metal. Orochimaru balked.

"X-C...take care of that thing, won't you?"

"Do you mean to say that I should re-initialize my attack mode?" I stared inquisitively at him as he nodded.

"Yes. Do it now!" I turned, feeling my internal processors snap back into place as my attack mode was again activated. The creature stuck its head through, its tongue lapping back and forth. I grimaced as my sword came up, and I ran the creature through, piercing it tongue first and crinkling it back. I ran it through to the hilt of my sword, and it writhed on the blade. Soon, it became motionless, red gore spilling from the wound and onto my hand. I looked at it with disgust. Disgust. Another human emotion. Interesting. I withdrew my blade, watching as the creature fell to the floor lifelessly. The man, Shikamaru, grunted.

"Great. Now we have to find another one of those. That was our only one." I turned to him.

"Surely you would have enjoyed it feasting upon your flesh then?" Sarcasm. I was learning many human emotions and words of phrase today. The man huffed once more before continuing the tour.

"X-C. Do not think that humans are the only ones effected by this virus. Animals are also capable of carrying it and spreading it around. Look!" The next cage held different animals, each of varying size and shape. My internal processors identified them immediately. Dog. Companion animal. Lives in homes and on streets. Possesses teeth and sharp claws. Danger: Minimal. Other animals popped up in my sight. Cat. Feline. Long claws and teeth capable of inflicting sharp wounds. Danger: Minimal. May be more of a threat than dogs of the same size, or larger varieties. Note: I hate cats! I wondered who would have placed that there. However, it was immediately replaced with other pictures. Crows, rats, mice, insects. The list ran on and on. After seeing the first few animals, my inner processors began sprouting their own list, each of them listed and replaced by another.

"So you can see, X-C. Animals will be as dangerous to you as people. Be aware of this!" I nodded. I understood fully. Now, I needed to know my primary objective.

"What is my primary objective, doctor?" The man, Orochimaru, laughed.

"You are impatient, aren't you X-C? Very well. You are to infiltrate the city. Use whatever means you can to make it to the heart of the dwelling place. If you need to, destroy any that are infected with the T-Virus. It shouldn't be difficult for you. Once you reach your destination, you will search out the list of scientists that I have given you via your internal com-link. Once found, you will radio us and we will escort them away from the city. You will find as many as you can that our alive, and then move on. Once you have located or destroyed all those on your list, you will vacate the city, allowing us to destroy the infection permanently. Is that understood?" I nodded once more. He smiled. "Good. I will send you a list as soon as you are in the city limits. You are to be brought by helicopter to the top of the city facility. You will make your way through from there. Specifications and updated information will be fed to you. That is all." He turned, walking away and out the door. I stood while Shikamaru gave me more information.

"Those two vials I handed you earlier should come in handy. If a subject has been bitten or marked by one infected, they are instantly infected themselves. However, if within three hours of infection you are able to give them the antidote, then you will be on time and able to save them. However, three hours is the minimum. You should be able to determine those who are salvageable and those that are not." I nodded once again. Turning, I began making my way towards the door, until the voice stopped me again. "Wait! You can't go out without some proper identification!" I reasoned that that was a logical idea, though I didn't think identification would help in a war zone. I turned once more, waiting for him to sort through some papers. He handed me a badge, which I put in my pocket. A card, some money, and some sordid papers soon followed. I pocketed all. Soon, he was out of things to give me, and stood, looking at me.

"What are you doing?" It was a logical question. He smiled at me.

"Thinking of a name to call you. I can't have one of my prized experiments wandering around with a name like X-C." I didn't understand. I was X-C. I was always going to be X-C. What was wrong with that? "Hmm...I got it!" He clicked his fingers together, a notation about coming up with an idea. If he had an idea, why didn't he just say so? Human emotions and customs. Again, I didn't understand them. "You are now, outside of Umbrella, going to be called...Naruto Uzumaki! I like that!" I scowled...even with my emotionless state of being, and with no regard for anything that was human, I was still disappointed...

Naruto Uzumaki was a dumb name...

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Next chapter: Naruto goes on a quest. To find Umbrella Corp employees before they die. However, others in the city of Konoha are also under siege. How will they survive if they are not under the wing of this protector?


	3. Living Nightmare

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 3: Living Nightmare**

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The small, organized group ran across the road, casting fear laden glances around them. They had lost four members already, three to the creatures, one to suicide after being bitten. None of them knew exactly what was happening, but they did know that life had been thrown into a chaotic blender. Soon, the four, two men and a two women, found themselves next to an arms store. Again casting glances around, the leader of the four took the initiative, trying in vain to pull the door open. As expected, it was blocked from the inside.

"Damn. So, now what?" The man turned, addressing the rest of the group. They stood silently. He turned to the girl. "You're supposed to be the brains of this outfit. What do you think, Ino?" The girl, Ino, began trying to make up her mind.

"Well...We need weapons, and ammunition. We won't get them unless we break in here somehow, correct? So, we need to get in." The man next to her sneered.

"No duh, Ms. Brainiac! Of course we have to get in. But how can we without causing any noise? You know as well as us that noise draws them." Ino turned, her own sneer on her face.

"Shut the hell up, Choji! If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be in this mess. You could have just brought all those guns from your house. But now, we're totally screwed!" The two began glaring at one another until the leader again called a halt to the proceedings.

"Look, we aren't going to get anywhere if you two keep bickering and complaining. Come on, we have to think of something!" Suddenly, a motion caught his eye, and he glanced up. Ino turned, feeling her hair beginning to rise, and found herself confronted with a blood-soaked face, two blue eyes staring blindly at her. The creature howled, grabbing her arm and twisting it to its face, mouth open. Choji, taken aback, suddenly came on the attack, rising and dealing the thing a blow to the face. The zombie staggered for a second, but came back, face in a sadistic grin. However, it was the last member of the group who saved the day, throwing herself between Ino and the creature. Whirling a home-made weapon assembled from two broken pipe ends and a length of chain, the woman twirled it, making the very air buzz with noise. She brought the weapon up and around, striking the monster repeatedly until it finally went down, its head crushed with the power of the blows. The woman stood, panting for breath, as Ino patted her on the back.

"Nice job, Tenten. You really came through!" The black-haired woman turned, smiling.

"Thanks, Ino!" Choji again muttered something under his breath, but held his peace otherwise. The leader of the small group sighed, turning back to the problem at hand.

"Well, I suppose that we made enough noise then, huh? We need to get in here!" Ino nodded, turning and picking up a garbage can. She flung it with extraordinary strength, smashing the window and sounding the alarm. The leader looked up with fright. "Damn. It must be on a different circuit." He turned to the girl. "Did you have to do that?"

"I thought you said that we had to get in here, Asuma! Geez. Come on, let's go. They have enough guns and ammo in here to last for a while!" She hopped through the mess, looking around as the others made their way in. A single look outside was enough for them to realize that their break-in hadn't gone unnoticed...as bodies began popping up, walking towards the shop with evil intentions. Ino took another look outside as she hefted a heavy rifle to her shoulder. "Come on, you guys! Pick out what you want and let's get going!" She hopped through the rift in the window, leveling her weapon and blasting a zombie. It fell to the ground, minute amounts of blood dripping from the wound in its face. She fired again as her friends exited the shop, all carrying numerous amounts of weaponry.

"Ok, we got what we were after. Now, lets find a way out of this nightmare!" The four began running, taking pot shots at creatures that were beginning to appear from every corner. Ino fired her weapon again, turning to Choji.

"Hey...I'm sorry about back there. You know, the whole gun thing. I overreacted." She fired again, bringing down another zombie...only to have it rise again. She cursed her horrible aim, taking another shot at it and being rewarded with a thump as it hit the ground for good.

"No problem. This whole episode is getting everyone uptight. Don't worry, no grudge!" Choji, having picked out an assault rifle combined with a scope, began to take shots of his own. Head shots were his thing. As a hunter, he often would challenge himself to take only head shots. He never believed in keeping trophies. It would only be a thrill to put a bullet between the eyes of his prey. Now, he had that pleasure. Each time he fired, another creature would go down in a spray. He smiled, taking another shot as the group continued South on the broken highway.

"Hmm...I think we can get out through here! After that, we just need to get through the city walls and we're home free!" Asuma continued running, taking time between shots to find his pack of cigarettes and light one, sticking it in his mouth with relief. Ino turned to him.

"You know, those things are bad for you." Asuma smiled, taking another zombie down with his Luger special.

"Well, I may have listened a while ago. Now, I don't really care. Let's just hope that we all make it long enough to see me get cancer, huh?" Together, the small group traveled South, trying to make it to the city wall, a mile or so away. The wall was their only way out...or so they thought.

* * *

Next Chapter: What is the Genesis Project? What are the bases for its foundation? Find out next time! 


	4. Journal Extract

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 4: Journal Extract**

* * *

Extract from journal code 1000-409-J26

Personnel Number Code – 11076

Personnel Name – Doctor Miricho

Director of Personnel for the Genesis Project

It has been four long weeks now, and I am beginning to believe that all of our work will be in vain. Subject X-B is coming along quite well. However, I begin to think that her circuits are beginning to malfunction. She has just become quite melancholy after being reactivated. For all intents and purposes, she seems to be reactive to the staff and I. Bringing her food has become a daily chore, for her caloric intake seems to be much higher than that of X-C or X-A. On a side-note, her physical strength abilities have become much higher in recent days, far greater than any could have imagined. Just yesterday she was able to kick through the outer wall of her room, leaving us to do repairs after taking her off-line for a while. It was only through modifications in her behavioral cortex that we were able to bring her fully to control and feel safe enough to bring her back on-line. She is now sitting in her room, awaiting further instructions.

As for X-A, he seems to be more active than X-B. He is always walking the perimeter of his room, waiting for something to happen, possibly. X-A, even before becoming a part of the Genesis Project, has always had a certain aptitude for action and possibilities. With his neural emitters and receivers on, he is always aware of what is happening. I feel that he is quite probably feeling regret about not being a larger part of the experiment. However, according to the wishes of the higher ups, it is felt that he should be left on the side-lines until needed. This newest tragedy to befall Umbrella Corp. has, unwittingly, opened up this path, and he may be used in further developments.

X-C has already been deployed to the problem region of Konoha. It seems that he has, under the careful guidance of Orochimaru and Hinata Hyuuga, been brought fully on-line and combat readiness. No telling how far his potential lies. Need be, X-A and X-B shall join him in the field. I heard from a higher source that they are to be tested in some way. Against each other or for each other, I am not sure. However, I am positive that the Genesis Project shall continue to be on-going. It was only a week ago that top executives wished to cancel the project entirely. To costly were the words they used I believe.

Strange. This new development in Konoha, though helpful to our cause, also comes at a time of great uncertainty to the Genesis Project. It was a blessing really. True, innocents have died, and shall continue to. But, they won't have died without just cause. The Genesis Project shall be a boon to man in years to come. I can already imagine a world that benefits from the key experiments happening. It will be interesting to see what new developments occur.

Personnel 11076 signing off.

* * *

Next Chapter: Naruto finally gets into the action! Dropped by helicopter into the city, his task is to hunt down the scientists. Will he be able to?


	5. Mitokado

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 5: Mitokado**

* * *

I looked out through the foggy haze of the burning city, feeling my nostrils flare as the smoke from the fires below annoyed my senses. My eyes began to water, and I shut them, fearing permanent damage to my ocular nerve as the helicopter continued its path through the sky, making towards the ruined building of what was once the main center for Umbrella Corp. in Konoha.

"X-C! We are dropping you off on the roof. From there, we will be able to give you coordinates through your neural processors as to where to find the missing executives and scientists. The list is long, but they are all as vital to Umbrella as you are. Do you understand?" The man talking to me, right across the cockpit, was asking me something that even a child could understand. I nodded. Strange, how a nod or a wink can be handled as an affirmative. Something as simple as a movement of the head can be interpreted where words would do otherwise. I fear that I never will understand humans or their ways.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, we hovered closely to the top of the building at Umbrella Corp., Konoha. I dropped to the roof, steadying myself as the stone shook beneath me. Thankfully, all Umbrella Corp. buildings were reinforced with large timbers and steel beams, just in case of earthquake. I turned back to the crew in the helicopter, and they wished me luck. Luck. Another thing I do not understand. What is luck? What purpose does luck have? If someone runs out into the street and dodges all the cars coming at them to get to the other side, is that luck? If someone else is hit, is this the loss of luck? Does luck help in any way? I decided not to think about this, so I turned, running to the door that stood in my path and kicking it open viciously. I was in no mood to wait. I needed to find the Umbrella Corp. employees fast, as time was of the essence.

I descended the stairwell, glancing anxiously to the left and right. The creatures, as I had been told, could be anywhere, at any time. I was also at a disadvantage. They could not be picked up by my heat sensors, as they didn't display any heat. I cautiously opened a door, peering out into the hallway to begin my sweep of the building. According to my internal workings, one of the scientists I was to find was still in the building. I had to find him before the others did. I slid down the hall, using every available resource that Umbrella had given me. Stealth, shadows, and quiet. I finally made it to the end, peeking through the glass pane of the door to the other side. It was a jumble of wiring and flames, smoke billowing everywhere. I saw two bodies on the ground, unmoving. Strange, how dead bodies could fill one with loathing. Death is something that I have learned most humans fear. One only truly appreciates living when one is dying, therefore, dying is something that one who wants to go on living doesn't want to do. I, however, had no reason to be afraid. I was superior to anything that was thrown at me, so why should I fear?

I opened the door, using my pass-code on the lock. It opened with a swish, and I heard the locks catch as the door rested in its holes in the wall. I silently padded my way through the carnage of the hallway, glancing down briefly at the two bodies that lay on the ground. Each wore a white coat, and my internal sensors began working on them to identify the remains. Subject: Dosu Kinuta. Status: Deceased. Function: Entry-level worker, class 3 intelligence officer. Processes Taken: None to date. I glanced over at the other body. A female, her face entirely gone from something...or someone. I knelt down, taking a closer look. Teeth marks on her outer facial region, and a large bite on her arm. The other body, this Dosu, had nothing on him. He was clean, as far as I could tell. However, closer examination brought about different results, as the residue from extrusions from his mouth began to show on my sensors. High levels of phosphorous, carbon...and some other material not identified by my scanners. The man had clearly taken his own life, perhaps after seeing what the corpses of the dead could do to the bodies of the living. Of course, after the change, a body had no need for dead flesh, so they had moved on, leaving him be.

I left the carnage of the hallway, again moving through quietly. I found myself a ways from where I had been dropped off, looking up at a door that was labeled "Lab D". Under this was another label, saying "Warning: Authorized Personnel Only!" I figured that I was as authorized as the next, so I let myself in, staring around at the multitude of bottles, beakers, and containers that littered the floor. I suddenly felt a hand on my leg, and I jumped, hopping onto a table and staring down at the broken remains of a man, staring back at me with those same, dead, blue eyes. His mouth was covered in blood, as was the rest of him. I did him the service of ending his undead life, sticking my sword through the back of his cranium. He didn't struggle, nor did he make a sound as the blade carved through tissue and bone. I pulled it out, wiping it distastefully on him and putting it back into my sheath, that I had chosen to wear on my back instead of my hip. I hopped down, cracking my neck and fingers as I roamed the lab once more, glancing about to be sure that I was indeed alone.

"He...help...help me!" I turned, hearing a voice call out from the other side of the lab. I hopped a broken table, scattering vials everywhere as I made my way through the wreckage. On the other side of the lab, I stopped, gazing down at a man who was underneath a table. It had been overturned, and he was trapped by a leg, blood running down it freely.

"Have you been bitten, doctor?" He gave me a wild stare, but shook his head.

"No. Those basturds have been trying to get to me. Thankfully I found this!" He showed me a loaded gun, clicking it over as he put it back in his pocket. "I had only two rounds left. If I had been here any longer, I would have probably shot myself with it." I nodded.

"It would have been a good option." He gave me another of those stares, but said nothing. Bending down, I grasped the end of the table, lifting up slightly, enough for him to get his leg out from under it. He sighed as I let the mass of metal back down, grinning up at me.

"Thank you, son. I don't know what I would've done without you!" I looked at him.

"You would have died without me." Of course, his words of thanks meant little to me, as I thought of most things in the literal sense. He coughed slightly, but held his silence. My inner processor again ran his image and ID through. Subject: Homura Mitokado. Status: Living. Function: High-ranking scientist. Involved with the Genesis Project through different channels. Level 5 security clearance. Processes Taken: None to date. Retrieval Priority: High. I nodded, more to myself than to the man in front of me.

"Doctor Mitokado, please come with me. Umbrella has sent me to retrieve you." He nodded, extending his hand to take mine. In answer, I dropped down, grasping his legs and pulling him to my back. With his injured limb, it was necessary to make our escape as quick as possible. The building was also in a state of collapse, and we needed to be out before it did so. Quickly, I brought up the building schematics for the center, running through them with light speed. Opening my eyes, I knew where and how to go. "Please hold on, Doctor. We shall be out in a moment." I leapt through the room, kicking the door open and hurrying down the hallway. Many of the creatures barred my way, but I bypassed them instead of wasting precious time trying to defeat them.

After running for the time of five minutes, I made it to the door, the portal to the outside. I slammed my weight to it, feeling it budge slightly, but still keeping in position. "Excuse me, Doctor." I set the man down on the ground, and he sat, breathing heavily from the exertion of trying to hold on as I ran my gauntlet through the hallways. I grasped the handle of my sword, bringing it out of its sheath and swinging it at the hunk of metal and wood in my way. Staying true to the nature of the metals my blade was constructed with, it hewed effortlessly through, and I cut the door from its hinges. However, as it fell away, I was then confronted by four canines. A pack, wandering the streets in search of living flesh. Each looked as mangy as the last, hair falling from them, mouths and teeth caked in fresh blood. They growled, and I took a step back. Two shots rang out behind me, and one of the canines went down in a spray.

"I figured I didn't need them anymore," I heard from behind me. I smiled as the three others jumped the clearing, crossing the space between us incredibly fast. I cut up, lopping the head off of one as the other two crashed into me, sending me flying backwards. Immediately, I was set upon, keeping both dogs at bay with my feet and arms. One grabbed the loose clothing of my pants, and I was instantly grateful for the baggy clothes, making up my mind to send a transmission to Ms. Hyuuga to thank her for that oversight. As the mongrel ripped my clothes and was left with ribbons, I brought my hand up, punching it in the face and sending it sprawling. This allowed me to switch hands, flipping my sword, who's arm was otherwise engaged by another of the demon monsters, to my left hand. With all my strength, I drove the blade deep into the animal until the hilt rested against its cranium. It detached from my shirt, looking struck for a moment before going down in a heap. By this time, the other canine had risen, giving up on my pants and coming for me. I brought my sword up as a chair crashed into it, knocking it to the side. A well thrown knife ended its extra life, keeping it down for good. I looked up with interest as Doctor Mitokado held himself against the wall, panting.

"Damn those things are ugly, huh?" I smiled, nodding back. I think I am beginning to understand the usefulness of humans and what they do, especially these small actions like nodding. I walked over to him, picking him up once again and hopping out of the building onto the street. I glanced around, noticing that no one else was coming. I sent an internal message to the helicopter, telling them to lock onto my signal and pick Doctor Mitokado up. In the meantime, we ran into a side building. I shut the door and stood next to it, the first line of defense in case of another attack. Doctor Mitokado began to perspire, wiping his sleeve across his forehead.

"I guess I'm not as young as I used to be. All this running around has got me sweatin'!" He lay back on the ground, resting his head on the broken shelving behind him and closing his eyes. I sat down in a chair a ways from him. He looked up, and began staring at me with calculating eyes.

"What is it?" Again, I had asked a very simple question. It's amazing how human beings can get around these types of questions by asking questions of their own.

"So...you are X-C, eh?" I nodded again. I am X-C. I am nothing but X-C. I will be nothing but X-C. For now and forever, I will be X-C.

"Yes, I am X-C." He nodded, closing his eyes in thought.

"Amazing that you are up and around, boy. I would have figured that they would be burying you somewhere by now. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they didn't, but still, it is amazing that you and I are here right now." My processors began reading that information, and immediately I found flaws with his statement.

"Why would I be buried? Why would anyone want to bury me? I am X-C. A part of the Umbrella Corp. I am key in the Genesis Project." I stated this all in a matter-of-fact tone, even the questions. The man seemed to chuckle.

"Yes yes. You are X-C. You are, undeniably, the breaking point of the Umbrella Corp. You are everything that Umbrella has ever wanted. But, I would have figured your program never to see the light of day. In fact, they took me off the project months ago. Something about funds. I don't really know the specifics, and I see that you don't either, so I won't ask." Then he got quiet, almost as if he were sleeping. As he didn't press the issue, neither did I think that I should. I allowed the silence to continue until the sounds of a chopper outside made me realize that I had called for a pick-up. I stooped, picking the man up once more and carrying him outside. As the helicopter began to attract the attention of those we didn't want to attract, I sat the man in the basket of the retrieval pod, watching as they lifted him up into the cockpit. Before I lost track of him, Doctor Mitokado gave me a wave.

"Good luck, X-C! Take care!" Then, he was gone, shut into the helicopter as it began to make its way back to the main Umbrella Corp. building. Again with the mention of luck. Something I didn't need, being superior. I sighed, turning and running down a side street to elude the shambling bodies coming my way. However, my thoughts interrupted my mindless running, and I began to think about what the man had said. _Breaking point of Umbrella...Never to see the light of day...Funds..._None of this made sense to me. Why would Umbrella Corp. cancel the Genesis Project when it was everything they had worked so hard to achieve? I would have to wait until later to figure this out. At that moment, another image of a trapped personnel appeared in my data banks. His home address was listed, and my internal processor brought up Konoha Street Schematics, allowing me to find the residence easily. I turned left onto another street, beginning my long run towards my newest destination.

* * *

Next Chapter: What is Hinata Hyuuga's intentions? What is she hiding? What is she up to? 


	6. Journal Extract II

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 6: Journal Extract II**

* * *

Extract from journal code 3067-208-H46

Personnel Number code – 11847

Personnel Name – Hinata Hyuuga

Primary Caregiver of the X-C Project

Subject X-C has been sent to Konoha, to deal with the problems that Umbrella Corp. has caused. The cause of the T-Virus outbreak is still a mystery, but a probe has been readied. Each member of the Konoha Umbrella Corp. station will be subjected to various means of interrogation, to find the cause of the release. This will be after X-C finds and rescues them. Strange, how one mishap can occur and create destruction to this level.

All of X-C's primary circuits are running at optimal efficiency. He has just sent me a coded message, thanking me for his clothes. Why he would consider doing this, I do not know at the time. I begin to wonder if his memory inhibitors are not functioning. I would regretfully have to do a complete scan and sweep of his cortex to see if this problem was occurring. I find myself in serious doubts about doing this. X-C is my responsibility, and yet, he has grown into something more than this.

I will not dwell on this matter any further. Each day that X-C is in the field is another day of paperwork and hassle for me. Therefore, I cannot allow myself to slip into uncertainty. X-C needs me now more than ever before, reading life functions and brain wave monitoring.

As a side-note, X-A seems to be getting along with X-B. We decided to try putting the two together. I do not know how long they should be left in each other's company. X-B seems to be much happier to have a companion, and though X-A mopes in the corner somewhat, possibly from a lack of action, he seems happy that X-B should enjoy his company. X-B has also stopped destroying the furniture and walls of her room, beginning to calm now, perhaps. I do not specify.

Orochimaru came to the laboratory just yesterday after X-C was sent. Though he seemed happy, his words betrayed something deeper. I believe his exact wording was, "had I had my choice in the matter, X-A would have been sent to Konoha. Don't get me wrong, Ms. Hyuuga, but X-C is still too new to trust in this matter." X-C and X-A are his experiments as well. Why would he trust or liken one over the other. Strange.

Personnel 11847 signing off.

* * *

Next Chapter: What of the normal citizens of Konoha? How are they coping with the outbreak? How is a certain Mayor reacting? 


	7. Death Note

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 7: Death Note**

* * *

Last Will and Testament of Tsunade

Presiding Mayor of Konoha

This date, the 11th of June, 2047

To whom it may concern...

My life and career have been full of laughter, tears, and joys. I have always wanted to go to Europe or Asia, to explore my horizons. However, with recent events, I cannot begin to imagine myself on a sunny beach, getting a tan or enjoying the waves. I pause to reminisce.

As the last remaining members of my esteemed cabinet are already fled or dead, I find myself wondering what happened to my city of Konoha. Was the tragedy that befell it my fault? Or was it the workings of some God that bears no name? Perhaps the work of terrorists. I am not sure, and am sure that I never will find the answer to this question.

As for my possessions, if anyone happens to find this note, they will go to my brethren, my citizens...if any are left alive after this holocaust. The only thing that no one may take is my life...for that is mine to keep, and mine alone.

I feel the effects that the bite is having on me. Strange, how cold I feel, yet I am simply sweating buckets. My skin has become lucid and grey...quite different from anything I have ever felt before. I have already seen the consequences of a bite. I had to endure watching my faithful and trusted advisor, Shizune, go under from it. In fact, it was she herself that gave me the infliction that I have. It pains me to say that I took her life with a pistol...but I am sure that she would've wanted it that way.

Funny, how new and old mingle with death. Like my old, faithful friend Shizune. She was always so caring and upbeat about life. If only she were here now. She reminds me of that new girl that I hired...what was her name? I can't seem to remember. It was only four days ago that she stopped coming in. Her phone number was fake as well, but she seemed to have a good heart. Probably why I hired her. Oh well, one can't dwell on the past...when one is looking into future.

I feel myself losing conciousness. If any find this note, than pray for my soul, and the souls of those who have passed before me. Pray that this nightmare ends...pray that someone comes to the rescue of those still alive.

Now, I will take reprieve...with my silence, my solace...and my .45 automatic.

Tsunade

Acting Mayor of Konoha

* * *

Next Chapter: Naruto bites off more than he can chew. Can he save a scientist who has already given himself up for dead?


	8. Jiraiya

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 8: Jiraiya**

* * *

I strode up the abandoned city street, my eyes grazing the ground and nearby homes. Some were ablaze with fire, others simply abandoned, as if the occupants had simply forgotten that they existed. I stepped over the mangled corpse of a young boy, his arms gnawed completely off and his face frozen in a mask of pain and longing. I stopped, turning and kneeling, closing the boy's open eyes.

"You live in death." Standing once more, I took another look around, my memory banks flashing with information. 1771 Clover Lane. NW centralized area of Konoha. I was in the correct place. My target, a high-priority doctor, whose work on the Genesis Project was highly classified, even to my neural matrix. I glanced at the ID once more, an image reflecting off of my ocular lens. Subject: Jiraiya. No last name known or recorded. Personnel Number: 11594. The old man had taken his Umbrella Corp. photograph smiling. Strange, how some humans believe that photo's are best with smiles and others with frowns. Interesting.

I took a glance at the house numbers. 1669...1687...1753...1771! That was the doctor's home residence. The outside was not manicured, which wasn't surprising. Many Umbrella Corp. engineers and doctors had hardly enough time for work, let alone any maintenance on their homes. I stepped gingerly over a broken mailbox, a small rabbit with open paws, where daily letters could be inserted into its open mouth. I scowled at it once, whipping my sword out and slicing it in half. A rat, its eyes already glazed over and blue, fell from the aperture, landing on the ground and twitching slightly. If any animals were resented more, it was cats and rats. Funny though...I never would have guessed that cats would fill me with such loathing. Perhaps it was an internal mainframe glitch that was placed by someone. I couldn't tell. I just knew that the animals were, indeed, disgusting.

"Doctor!" I opened the door, stepping into the hallway. Shifting my gaze, I walked into the kitchen, staring at the disarray of the cabinets and cutlery. Though, for a man with no woman, he was fairly neat. Even in the wake of a disaster, no dishes sat unwashed in the sink, and no clothes were left on the floor. I stepped away from the kitchen, walking up the stairs into the hallway. Immediately, a pair of crows, incessant with hunger and fear, flew into me, pecking and squawking loudly. My sword flew up twice, disemboweling both birds and leaving them on the floor. Though they were not infected, as my scanners showed, I was highly displeased that two winged animals had attacked me.

"Hugo?...Spen?" A voice from the next room beckoned, and I was quick to answer.

"Doctor Jiraiya? I am here to bring you back to Umbrella." I walked into the room, stopping momentarily to glare down at the two mis-formed bodies lying on the floor. Clearly, the creatures had already been here. A man cowered in the corner, a pistol at his side.

"Who...who are you?" The man was clearly frightened, so I reasoned as well as I could under the circumstances.

"Sir...I am X-C. I was sent by Umbrella to bring you out of this place and take you to safety." The man gave me a mad stare before laughing.

"Hohoho! Yes, Umbrella. Oh yes, those basturds are so very kind to have brought me my own personal bodyguard. Oh yes. Hohoho!" Then, he centered the pistol on me, his hand shaking. "So, you are X-C, eh? Well well well. You pile of scrap! You shouldn't even be here!" I was already wondering what this man was about, why he was holding me under the grip of a gun. What was he talking about?

"Doctor Jiraiya, I do not understand. My orders are to bring you back, and that is what I am going to do." The doctor pulled the trigger, sending a bullet flying over me.

"They would like that, wouldn't they? They would love to bring me back. Oh yes, yes they would! But I know better. I know better than that! They won't ever bring me back. Not ever!" He fired another shot, too far to the left to do any serious damage. Still, my blade was held ready, set to block any other projectiles the man may fire.

"Sir, I have my orders. Please do not make this difficult for me." The crazed old man laughed.

"You fool. Don't you even know what you are? Who you were? Huh? Do you?" I blinked. Who I was? Who I am? I am X-C. Nothing more, nothing less. I am superior. I shook my head, getting my neural matrix back on-line. I didn't need it spouting programming at me.

"Sir...Doctor...please, come with me. I can get you help." The man again laughed, spitting the words in my face.

"Fool! I said it before, I won't go back. Not ever!" He pointed with the pistol. "Do you see those bodies there? They were my favorite women. They didn't deserve to die!" I glanced down, seeing the blood caking both of the females as they lay on the floor. "Oh no, they didn't. But Umbrella, those basturds, with their high ideals for humanity and thinking about being the ultimate, superior beings of the world! They didn't think twice about killing them, did they?" The man was clearly insane, shouting as he pointed his weapon at me. "They don't think about the lives they ruin along the way. They don't think about the people they crush, all in the name of science and technology! They don't think about me! Hell, they didn't even think about you!" Didn't think about me? I am X-C! I am all that Umbrella Corp. has tried to bring to fruition. "Where do you think you come from, hmm? Space? Thin air? Do you really think that you aren't human? You're some sort of machine? Is that what you think?" Human? Me? I couldn't begin to imagine myself as lowly as a human. I was X-C. I was much more advanced than any human.

"Sir, you know not what you do or say. Come with me, I can help you." The doctor sneered.

"No. You will never take me! Never!" He fired another shot, and my sword came up, ricocheting the bullet away. He cursed. "Don't you see? I can't be helped now! No one can help me!" He extended his leg, showing me the bite marks. "I thought they were just having fun...but the pain! The pain! I feel...I feel so weak." I extended my hand, but he fired another shot, making me take immediate action to deflect the bullet. "No! You won't come near me, you abomination. Look at yourself. You're not even human anymore, are you? You're like some pack mule, taking the orders of a company that wished you never even existed." He stood up shakily, and I could see him put most of his weight on his right leg, the left still bleeding immensely. The man began to cry. "It's...it's all over for me. I'm sorry...I'm so sorry for what we did to you." He was confusing me more and more. Did to me? What did he mean? They made me the most powerful being on the planet, and for this anyone should feel sorry?

"Doctor, please. Come with me, I have..." but he shook his head.

"No, young man. I can't come with you, I'm afraid. My time has come!" I shouted at him to wait, I could help, but his hand had already pulled the trigger. As his lifeless corpse hit the ground, grey matter already mixing with the blood from the bullet wound in his temple, I knelt down, sighing.

"Doctor...I had the antidote. Why?" My sensors clicked, and the doctor's image popped up into view. Subject: Jiraiya. No last name known or recorded. Status: Deceased. I sighed once more, sending an internal message back to the Umbrella Corp. building that Jiraiya had been killed by taking his own life.

I stood, deciding to leave the carnage of the house and begin my search for other members of Umbrella Corp. I walked down the stairs, opening the door and closing it with a slight click. Taking to the street, I began my walk towards my new destination. A scientist working on a synthetic food, good for long missions for secret ops. Information containing nutritional information popped up into my matrix, and I nodded. Well balanced for human consumption. However, the man...Jiraiya, had given me much to think about. I was an abomination, sent by Umbrella? I was something that I wasn't? I was...human? It couldn't be true...but deep down, I felt that it was. I was stronger...faster...more agile than any human alive. But at the same time, I was human. Interesting. As facts appeared, I registered them on my internal memory bank, hoping to ask Mrs. Hyuuga or Orochimaru what it all meant once I arrived back to the lab. However, my newest mission was still nagging at me, so I quelled any other curiosity by pulling up the statistics on my target. She lived on the other side of town, and she was a high priority extraction.

Name...Anko Mitarashi.

* * *

Next Chapter: How will Naruto react when his next acquisition...is completely insane? 


	9. Insanity

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 9: Insanity**

* * *

It was interesting for me to be able to change scenery so fast. One minute, I was in a part of town that reeked of destruction, chaos, and disorder. However, on the side of town that my newest acquisition lived, this...Anko, I felt immediately secure. It might have been called seductive, the way the small, two-bedroom houses in the sub-division of Konoha stretched down the street. None of the creatures seemed to have come this way, as the neighborhood was still relatively clean looking. None of the houses were aflame, nothing broken or mangled...no corpses lining the streets. I was amazed. My data-banks again brought up the primary residence of the lead nutritional scientist, and I checked numbers on houses until I found the correct one. Nothing fancy about it, the same as most of the others. I knocked politely, waiting for a reply.

"Who is it?" A female voice, soft and sultry. I answered.

"Ma'am, if you are Anko Mitarashi, I have been sent from Umbrella Corp. to bring you back to a safe zone. I am X-C." There was a moment of silence, and then the door clicked once, then twice...then a third time. As most scientists of Umbrella were naturally suspicious of their fellow man, the multiple locks on the door wasn't a surprise. A face appeared in a small crack in the door, and a female face followed it. Immediately, my scanners went to work, taking a 3D image of her and rotating it in my field of view. Subject: Anko Mitarashi. Status: Living. Extraction Priority: High. I smiled, glad that something was going right. The house was in order, the small, white picket fence out front wasn't destroyed, and she seemed happy.

"Ma'am, I am here to take you back to Umbrella." She smiled wide, opening the door and beckoning me inside.

"Great! Hey, you want some food? I got plenty!" Without waiting for my answer, she walked into the kitchen, leaving me in the doorway. I stepped into the domicile, looking around at the works of art hanging on the walls. Art was something else I didn't understand. Why would humans place pieces of colored cloth and paper on their walls? Why wouldn't they just paint the walls that color and leave them blank? It was rather baffling to me.

"Anko Mitarashi..." I began, but she popped her head in from the next room, smiling and clucking her tongue at me.

"No no no. Just call me Anko. It sounds better, don't you think?" Then, she was gone again, back into the kitchen to do whatever it was she was doing. I took one last glance at all the paintings, walking around and fingering one or two of them, and then going into the kitchen.

"Ma'am, it is time for you to leave. I have orders...and others to find." Anko smiled, turning her head and glancing at me through the corner of her eye.

"Oh you! Just sit right there and I'll make you something great!" I looked to the left, noticing a chair and sitting down.

"Please ma'am, we don't have time for this. The city..." but she shushed me, mixing something in a bowl.

"Oh yes. The city. The city can wait. Right now, I'm trying to perfect my recipe for the greatest food ever! Now, just stay sitting there and everything will be alright!" I shrugged, still sitting. I looked from the woman to the window, where the sky was still a shade of unearthly gray against a green background of grass and homes. I suppose I should have known something was amiss, because everything in the quiet home was still running smoothly. The lights and power still ran, which led my internal processors to begin searching for a means of electrical supply. It found it after a small search. A generator, hid in the attic, supplied the house with needed electricity. It didn't surprise me. After all, most of the scientists had all their needs taken care of. Umbrella saw to that.

"Hmm...you know, you remind me of someone I used to know. I can't really recall right now, but you do look familiar." Anko, her back to me, continued mixing the compound contained in her bowl. I arched an eyebrow, but said nothing. She glanced over at me. "You really aren't the talkative type, are you?" I shrugged. I hadn't been programmed for idle chitchat, merely to carry out orders, which needed to be carried out at the moment. She smiled, grabbing a small sheet pan and plopping dollops of the mixture on to the metal surface. After, she stuck the thing into the oven, coming to sit down opposite me after setting the timer. "So...you read any good books lately?" She was obviously trying to lighten the mood, as her heart was beating faster now. I shook my head. Every known literature written to the point of my awakening already lay in my memory banks. Everything ever written was encoded, and I could pull this information up when I chose to. Everything, from fiction and history, to biographies and medical journals.

"I have no need to read." She seemed disturbed by the answer, but smiled sweetly back.

"You know...you're cute!" I was taken aback by this exclamation, but I didn't show it.

"Ms. Anko. You must come with me. We have no time..." but she again shushed me, reaching out and placing a finger on my mouth.

"Now now. No talking like that. You have to try what I've just come up with first! Afterwards, we can go on your little...er, mission." I was still disturbed by her mannerisms, but I was so used to humans being unreasonably strange that I didn't allow it to distract me. Suddenly, my heat sensors began picking up slight traces of heat coming from the other room. Interested, I walked back into the main room, looking around for the source. Anko had followed, watching me with interest. Without looking, I sighed, turning back to her.

"So...how long has it been here?" She cocked her head at me, and then sighed as well.

"About two hours. Came in a while ago...but don't worry, he ain't hurtin' nothin'!" I shook my head, looking up at where the thing crawled. Having noticed that I spotted it, it gazed down at me, its tongue moving back and forth. Deadicus Tonguicus...or a licker, as Orochimaru had so plainly put it. I grasped my sword from my back, bringing it forward...until Anko grabbed my hand.

"No! You can't! You won't!" She began struggling with me, which seemed like an ant trying to move a boulder. I stood, watching her for a moment as she vainly tried wrestling the sword from my hands, but finally, she gave up, beginning to cry as she watched me. "Gai wasn't harming anything. You can't just kill him!" I snorted, looking back up. However, the creature was gone, nowhere to be seen. I backed into the room, looking around, while Anko began pacing nervously. "He...he was my friend. He was hurt, so I let him use the upstairs room. He...he...he isn't a monster! He's...he's my friend!" I looked at her.

"Ms. Anko, that creature is a mutation of the T-virus. He...it, cannot be allowed to live. It could cause harm to others...it could try and kill you!" She laughed, flipping her hand in front of her.

"Oh no no no. You can't honestly believe that my best friend would try and kill me, would you?" She laughed again, turning to go back into the kitchen and leaving me in the living room. My heat sensors, though working properly, were unable to locate the creature. I decided for the time being to take a look around. Stepping up the stairs gingerly, I went to the second floor of the home. The doors were open, so I checked the first room of three, staring around and checking all hiding places before I deemed the room safe. I closed the door as I left, going into the second room. Again, the room was clean, aside from the odd pieces of clothing lying on the ground. I closed the door again as I left that room. Only one room left on the top floor. Going into the room, I noticed the bed. A crimson pool had soaked into the sheets...evidence of a wounded person lying there. I tip-toed into the domicile, glancing nervously left and right. It could have been anywhere, but it wasn't apparently there. Satisfied, I walked out of the room, closing the door. Glancing up, left, and right, I didn't see the monster on the top floor, so I began my descent downstairs, stopping at the foot of the stairs.

"Imagine, Gai! Thinking that you would try and kill me! Hahahah! That young man certainly has a sense of humor, doesn't he? Try another, won't you?" I gasped, jumping the last railing and turning the corner into the kitchen. Anko stood at her oven, the creature on the ceiling above her. Its tongue was slowly playing out, reaching down and licking her cheek. "Oh Gai...stop that! You know how upsetting that is!" She batted playfully at it...until it wrapped around her neck, tightening and yanking her off the floor. She was still laughing as she kicked feverishly out, her hands flailing. "Gai! You're hurting me. Come on, Gai! Stop kidding around here!" Her voice was choking in her throat, all the while the licker was pulling her closer to its mouth, its sharp, razor looking teeth ready. I brought my sword up, hurling it like a spear. It sheared through the creatures open mouth, and right away, it dropped Ms. Anko on the floor, making her land in an untidy mess. It swayed a moment on the ceiling before losing grip and dropping like a rock, sprawling on the floor as it writhed. I stepped over, pulling the woman off the ground. Taking a kitchen knife from the drawer on my left, I knelt down, dealing the creature several stabs to the head until it stopped convulsing. Ms. Anko was still in shock as I stood, gripping the handle on my sword and pulling it from the creature.

"Oh my...you just killed Gai! How could you?" She came to me, striking me across the cheek, open palmed. For a moment, my blood boiled. This woman could have died, could have gotten me destroyed, and she strikes me for destroying the creature that would've killed her? Holding my rage in check, I glared at her.

"Ms. Mitarashi..."

"Anko!"

"Ms. Anko...it is time to leave!" I grabbed her hand, forcing her to the door as my internal processor began running a message to the main Umbrella Corp. building asking for a pick-up. Walking outside, I glanced up, watching a small light heading from the rural city to our location. I sat the woman on the ground, watching her sulk as we waited.

"You didn't need to kill him..." she said, almost to herself. I sneered at her, though she wasn't looking, but held my peace. After a few minutes, the helicopter hove into view, releasing a basket down. I dumped the woman unceremoniously into it. By that time, she had gotten under control again. As she half-lay, half-sat in the basket, she reached out, stroking my cheek.

"Thanks for the lift, handsome. Hope to do it again sometime. Hahahaha!" Then, the basket lifted away off the ground, up into the waiting cockpit of the helicopter. I watched as it flew off, its package secured. I shook my head once more as a dog walked into the street, noticing me. It growled, its mangy fur a mess. Running full tilt at me, it lunged. Taking the briefest of side-steps, I brought my blade up, dissecting the animal in half. It lay on the ground, twitching slightly. I smiled, replacing my blade in its sheath. That had released some anger from my body, and it felt good. As I walked away with a new mission that my internal processor had picked up, I sighed.

I only wish that the dog had been a cat!

* * *

Next Chapter: The small group is still stuck within a hellish nightmare. But, they have a plan to get out. Will it succeed? Or will they fail...just like so many others have. 


	10. Losing A Leader, Gaining An Ally

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 10: Losing A Leader, Gaining An Ally**

* * *

Ino squatted in the small, ramshackle house that the four had taken refuge in. They were close to the gates of Konoha. Not close enough to be in the clear, but close enough to give them hope. She glanced over at Chouji, who was wrapping his leg. In the process of jumping over a fence, he hadn't timed it right and sheared a good portion of skin away from his knee, causing him great discomfort as they continued their harried run towards hopeful freedom.

"Chouji...how are you doing?" Ino was still quite nervous for her friend, who smiled, looking up and giving her the ok sign.

"I'm doin' fine. This hurts like hell, though!" Tenten walked over, kneeling down and inspecting his crude job of patching it up.

"Hmm...this should work for a day or two. But we have to get that looked at. Who knows what you got embedded in there." Standing back up, she looked over at Asuma, who was lighting another cigarette. "How far do you think we are from the gate?" Asuma, glancing up, shrugged.

"I dunno. Probably another half mile. It should be right over that next ridge there. If we can get through there, we should be able to make it out." He looked over at Ino as he lay back, his arms holding him up.

"Hey, Ino. How much ammo you got left?" Ino did a hurried count of her remaining munitions, sighing.

"I only have about twelve shells left. Chouji, how about you?" Chouji glanced down at his rifle, digging his hands in his ammunition pouch on his side.

"Well, I have three in the rifle, and about nine shells in my pouch. So, what? Like, twelve or something?" Ino sighed. Chouji was never all that bright, nor did he ever take anything that seriously.

"Chouji, either you have twelve shells left or you don't. Now, which is it?" Chouji laughed, squatting back down.

"Ok, ok. I have twelve. Tenten?" Tenten smiled, picking up her homemade nunchucks.

"I'm fine. I got these babies. But if I had a pipe or a long broom handle or something, I could make a spear, or something along those lines." She began sorting through the rubbish that the old house contained, sweeping garbage away with her foot. She stepped back as she unveiled a corpse, laying on its side, a large hole in its head. From what she could tell from her hasty look, it was missing a brain...and eyes...and a nose. "Well, that won't help me any." She began to sort once again, crying out with glee as she came up with a long, broken piece of piping. She began at once, shaping the pipe on a large rock on the ground, delighting in the way the sparks flashed in front of her.

"Great job, Tenten. Now, we just need to make it over that hill. When we leave here, no one fire unless you need to! If the creature is far enough away, just let it alone. It'll rot soon enough." Ino and Chouji nodded. "If they get close, then I want Tenten to deal with them. Only take shots, good ones, at the beasts in front of us. Otherwise, you're just wasting ammo...and we need all of it we can get!" All three nodded, and Tenten put her pipe through a hole in her shirt so it stuck to her back. She stood up, smiling.

"All right! I'm ready!" The others stood as well, Asuma going to the door and opening it a crack.

"Well, I don't see anything out there. But that don't mean nothin'. You guys ready?" The others nodded, so he booted the door aside, hopping out and looking around. Nothing seemed amiss, so he gestured to the others. "Come on! We have to get to that gate!" The others piled out, and all four began running towards the hill, the gate...and freedom.

* * *

As they neared the hill, Chouji chanced a glance behind them. In their wake was a massive horde of creatures, all shambling and half-running towards the four as they scrambled up the hill. "Asuma! We got company!" Asuma turned his head, growling at the lines of undead coming their way. 

"Crap! They must have spotted us. Alright, remember what I said. They aren't that fast, so let's just keep running!" Together, the four made it to the top of the hill, and Ino almost squealed as she saw the gate.

"Hey! There it is! The gate! I see it!" Asuma grabbed her hand, yanking her along as the four tripped and slided down the other side of the hill, making for the gate. However, the path wasn't clear, as a pack of un-dead canines ran into view, blocking their path to freedom and running straight at them. Asuma, being the one in the lead, spat out his still lit cigarette, shouting at the others.

"Ok, I want you three to make it to the gate. I'll take them. Keep going until you get there. Open the damn thing and wait for me. I'll be there in a second!" With that, and without listening to the shouts of the others, he ran straight for the pack of dogs, brandishing his two pistols with purpose. His first two shots took a dog low. Another two smashed the leg of another, but didn't put it down. He began firing madly, only stopping to reload. The pack was still coming as the other three pulled away, taking a longer route that would by-pass the animals and get them to the gate. Asuma glanced over as he saw the three run behind a house, and smiled. _Good luck, you three._ He stopped, with the pack of dogs only a few hundred feet away and closing. Taking another cigarette out of his pocket, he lit it, sticking it between his teeth and smiling as the smoke went down his lungs. "Well, at least I won't die from cancer. HAHAHAHAHA!" He threw himself headlong into the pack, punching and kicking out as the canines ripped at him. Whenever his hands were free, he would fire a shot, but the dogs had his arms already engaged.

* * *

Ino was the first to the main controls of the gate. They had checked to see if they would open by themselves, but they were shut. The only way to open them would be to use the main gate switch. She threw one switch, and then another. Soon, she had all of them to the open position, but none of them were working. "Crap! Why isn't the gate opening?" She got down on her knees, grabbing the panel board and ripping it off its hinges. Inside was a mess of wiring and lights. Half the wires had been cut, and some were disconnected. Whoever had sealed Konoha had made sure no one was to leave. "You guys...we have a problem!" The others ran up, noting the panel and tangled wires. 

"Shit! We're doomed!" Chouji got on his knees, grabbing wires and glancing at them. He began frantically trying to reconnect broken wires and plug in some that were unplugged. It wasn't until Ino stopped him that he gave up, letting his arms hang loosely at his sides. "We...we're never getting out of here, are we?" Tenten knelt, grabbing his arm and hefting him up.

"Don't be silly. We just need to figure something else out! This can't be the only gate out of Konoha, right?" Chouji brightened, until Ino put the idea down.

"Yeah, it is. Konoha only has the one gate...the main road of traffic into and out of Konoha. The mayor saw to that." However, Tenten was adamant.

"Bull! I know that there has to be some sort of passage...or tunnel...or extra gate. Something!" Ino still refused to believe it, until Chouji pointed at the wall.

"Hey...isn't that the wall and the gate...the whole city?" The other two glanced over. There on the wall was a giant picture of the city, where the gate was...and where two other gates lay. They lay on opposite sides of the city. Only small foot gates, but gates out of the city nonetheless. Ino squealed, grabbing Chouji and giving him a kiss.

"Chouji! I love you!" Chouji stepped back, putting a hand to his lips.

"Really?" Ino sighed.

"No, not really. But still, you may have found the way out of here! Come on!" The three raced to the stairs, stopping when Ino blocked them.

"Wait, what about Asuma? He won't know where we went!" The other two glanced at one another, nodding briefly.

"Right...well, what should we do?" Ino clicked her fingers together.

"I know! We can run upstairs a little, catch a glimpse of him running this way, and know where to meet him halfway. Then, we can all get the hell out of here!" Without waiting, she ran up the stairs to a small tower on the inside of the wall. From the tower, she had a pretty good view of everything. Following the path they had taken, and the path that Asuma had taken, she looked around. She saw the pack of dogs...but no Asuma? _He surely gave them the slip and is on his way...right?_ Grabbing a pair of binoculars that were sitting out, she swept the land. Chouji arrived as the binoculars fell from her nerveless hands.

"What? What is it? Where's Asuma? Is he on his way?" Ino turned, her face white.

"Asuma...Asuma...As...Asu..." but she didn't finish, instead running to Chouji to cry on his shoulder. That was all he needed. He patted her back, tears coursing down his face, as Tenten arrived. Seeing them both like that, she needed no answer. She turned to the barren landscape, shutting out the moans and cries from below.

"Thank you, Asuma. You got us safely away. We owe you one!" Taking a brief moment to wipe a tear from her eye, she turned back. "Well, come on! He wouldn't have wanted us to wait here to die, right?" The other two nodded, Ino gaining control of herself again. They took off, running to the bottom of the stairs and down to the main level.

"So, which way?" Chouji glanced left and right. Ino went to her memory map, trying to remember.

"Well, if we follow the wall each way, we come to one of the gates. All the monsters are to the right, so we might as well go left, right?" The other two agreed, taking off to the left and running towards the small foot gate that they hoped would be opened.

* * *

It was hours later when they arrived. They had managed to dodge most obstacles in their way, including dogs and humans alike, to get to the foot gate. Now that they were there, they were ecstatic. Ino walked grandly to the gate, grabbing the handle and turning to her friends. 

"My friends! Welcome...to freedom!" She yanked, hard. However, the door wouldn't give. She put her weight into it, using both hands for leverage, but the door still wouldn't budge.

"Chouji, help her, won't you?" Tenten, who had her back to the door as a lookout, nudged him. He nodded, walking up and grasping the handle. Together, the two pulled, but the door still wouldn't open.

"For god sakes! Why won't you open!?" Ino gave the door a kick, sighing and flopping on the ground. "It's hopeless. We're dead!" Chouji sank to his knees, smiling at her.

"Don't say that! That's something I would say, remember?" Ino smiled back. However, they didn't have time to rest. At Tenten's course announcement of trouble, the two hopped up, weapons at the ready. A horde of un-dead were swarming towards them, moaning and crying out. They took off, running to the right as they fired into the packed masses of creatures. It did little to abate them, as each that fell seemed to be replaced by two more. The three wound up in a parking lot of a grocery store, taking refuge in the doorway. The store entrance was boarded and blocked up, with no way in or out. They fired shots off into the crowd, taking a few down.

"Crap! I'm out!" Ino jammed her gun into the ground, emptying the cartridges. Chouji fired his last shot, reveling in the spray that erupted out of his foe's head.

"Yeah, me to!" They both looked at Tenten, who smiled.

"Well, I'll take down as many as I can. But I won't take them all!" The three smiled at one another, glancing back at the horde.

"It was good knowing you guys!" Ino stood up, grasping her gun like a bat. Chouji did likewise, while Tenten thrummed the air with her nunchucks.

"Let's go down fighting!" The other two nodded, watching the masses of un-dead draw nearer and nearer. Just as the zombies had them cornered, shots rang out. The creatures went down in droves, each shot ringing out true and clear. They never got any further to the trio, all of them being laid out in a matter of a minute. The three gasped as the last one fell over, a hole in its forehead.

"Wait...what the hell was that?" Ino ran out from the cover of the doorway, looking up. On the roof of the building stood three individuals, all packing plenty of firepower. One, a boy with flaming red hair, stood out front, his face a mask of grim determination.

"Why are you here? And why did you lead them to us?"

* * *

Next Chapter: More notes on what the Genesis Project truly is. 


	11. Journal Extract III

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 11: Journal Extract III**

* * *

Extract from journal code 1576-752-R06

Personnel Number Code – 24073

Personnel Name – Orochimaru

Primary Analyst of Umbrella Corporation

As of yesterday, both X-A and X-B have escaped from the enclosed compound. I am not sure how they got out, but assuredly, the cunning that X-B has, and the willpower of X-A to do what he feels necessary for the continuation of his own life has something to do with it. I don't know exactly the terms that they both gave, for they appear to have escaped together. Nonetheless, teams have been sent out to extract them both from the field, as having them away from the complex to long could have dire effects on...their programming.

As for X-C, he is doing a splendid job in the field. Far greater is the work he does than the amount of credit I gave him in the first place. It appears that my hopes were far lower for him than they should have been. Thusly, I have rethought my position on the matter, and await for further details of his work in the field. It should be quite interesting to see how he does in the last few days he is in the field.

As for X-A and X-B...well, perhaps time will tell for those two. Personally, once they are back here, they will be directly reprogrammed. But first, we must find and detain them. That in itself may be harder to do than expected.

Looking at the latest report from Konoha, the city is in absolute chaos. Not that Shikamaru or the lads in the think tank wouldn't benefit from a few new specimens. This is all for the good of science, one must remember.

As to the locations of the two runaways, they seem to be converging upon Konoha. Some hidden agenda they have, perhaps? Maybe they feel that they need to assist X-C in the matters he has at hand. Umbrella Corp. has had exceedingly good luck with him so far, but any extra help can't be misplaced. We shall continue to watch, wait, and hope.

Me especially...

Personnel 24073 signing off.

* * *

Next Chapter: Naruto goes even further into the city, scouring it for the missing scientists. Who will he save next? Will the next person he tries to save...allow him to? 


	12. Fairly Dealt With

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 12: Fairly Dealt With**

* * *

I stumbled my way up the steep embankment, taking a moment to catch my breath. In front of me lay a row of houses, mostly the same, except for one that stood out. Grey, grey, grey, and then blue. The rest of the houses were all off-color grey, except for the one. I checked my data-banks once again for the address. Yes, it was correct. That was the house. Hopefully, I would be able to execute the initiative without much fuss. Why did some humans have to be so stubborn? Like that Anko woman. I didn't believe that a top-rated scientist of Umbrella would be so insane. The ability to think should have been the overlying factor of the hiring process. However, if her calculations for the ultimate mission foodstuff were correct, than she may be key to Umbrella. Especially their tactical teams.

I climbed the rest of the way, crouching low to avoid detection. As of yet, nothing had seen me. I needed to get to the domicile and rescue the inhabitant within, getting on with my mission in the process. Walking to the front door, I crossed a well manicured lawn, looking down with displeasure at a lawn gnome that stood in the way. It beamed back at me eerily, as if it was watching me. Going to the door, I knocked, waiting for a reply. When none came, I knocked again. Protocol still demanded courtesy, even in the dire situation that I faced.

"Who the hell is it?" A gruff, female voice answered. Not as sensual as the Anko woman's, but still quite feminine.

"Ma'am...I am X-C. I am here to take you out of Konoha and get you back to Umbrella Corp." For a time, there was no answer. Suddenly, the door opened up, and I was faced with the four barrels of a repeating blaster. A woman stood behind the weapon, glaring at me.

"Who the hell are you again?" I swallowed. From the range she had me, I couldn't fight back with my weapon. In the time it would have taken to unsheath my sword, she would have blown a hole in my cerebrum. I gulped once again, trying to disarm the situation.

"Are you Kurenai Yuhi?" The woman grunted, but still didn't lower the weapon.

"Yeah. What of it?" I stood stock still, trying to figure out if the woman was going to answer me reasonably...or just blow my head off.

"Ma'am, Umbrella sent me here. I am to retrieve you and get you away." She snorted, putting the weapon up and turning around.

"About damn time. Took you long enough, didn't it? Just hold on, let me get some shit together." I heard rummaging in the house, and then she came out, still holding the blaster in her right hand, her left carrying a large bag that rattled when she bounced. I figured it was ammunition. "Alright, get me out of this hell hole!" I nodded, sending a message to Umbrella for a pick up. Suddenly, she lowered the weapon at me once more.

"Ma'am, I..."

"Get down!" I did as bidden, ducking down as she fired off rounds above my head. My central processor skipped a beat as the percussion from the weapon rebounded in my cranium. As the weapon eased and the noise ceased, I turned. Two un-dead creatures lay behind me, not more than a few feet away. My scanners hadn't picked up anything.

"You need to be more careful." She holstered her weapon, watching me. I sighed.

"The helicopter is on its way, ma'am." She nodded. Then, her head whipped around, and I followed her gaze. In the sky to our right, a black cloud hung menacingly, dark and ominous. My scanners still didn't pick up anything. No barometric change, no heat signal...nothing. She put a hand up, testing the atmosphere.

"Rain, perhaps?" I shook my head as the cloud began to get closer...and closer.

"I don't think so, Ms. Yuhi." I grabbed her hand, boosting her down the street as the cloud continued to get closer...the raucous cawing of crows low in the distance. She stopped me in the middle of the street, whipping her hand from mine.

"Hey! I ain't afraid of a bunch of birds!" Turning, she began firing rounds into the cloud of creatures, laughing with glee as they dropped like stones from the sky. There were too many of them, and I knew this. However, she was adamant. "Come on, you filthy pillow stuffers! Come and get a taste!" Her weapon was firing like mad, almost as mad as her, and she didn't stop until she had run out of ammunition. "Keep 'em off of me, I have to reload." I sighed, pulling my sword from its sheath and waiting for the cloud to arrive. As per my mission status, I was to extract the scientists, alive. If she was going to kill herself, than I would obey my programming and fight alongside her. In fact, something else began to boil inside of me. Something that I couldn't figure out...it wasn't fear. Nor was it anger or hatred. It was lust! Lust...for killing! Then, the cloud landed on top of us.

A crow dove for my head. My sword flicked upwards, and I sliced its head from its body, its feathered pulp hitting the ground with a sickening thud. Another dove down, aiming for my eyes. I twisted, allowing it to dive away before cutting it in half. Yet a third flew down, using its talons to scratch out at my hair. I ducked down, bending in half and sticking my sword through it and another crow that had wanted to try the same thing. Now, I was everywhere, hacking, slicing, and cutting. In the midst of it all, I heard the automatic weapon blazing away as well. Feathers and blood flew thick in the air, and for a moment, I began to wonder if the blood was truly from the birds...or if it was mine. The air became thick with death, and through the chopping and hacking and killing, I remember laughing. I was taking life. I was the bringer of destruction. I was the one who chose for these creatures. I was the one with the power of others in my hands.

"Hey...HEY! It's over! You can stop swinging that thing!" I glanced at the woman, who had placed a restraining hand on my arm. My sword was still swinging like mad, though the air was now clear of attackers. However, as she held my arm, my attack mode disengaged, and I lowered my weapon. Strange. My attack mode hadn't disengaged when my sensors indicated no enemies were present. I would have to ask about this at a later date. Perhaps Ms. Hyuuga could shed some light on the subject.

"So, when is that chopper gettin' here?" I checked my data bank. Only another few minutes, and the helicopter would be over our present position.

"A few minutes more, ma'am." She nodded, looking up at the sky for signs of the promised escape. A moan in the distance caught my attention, however. I lowered my gaze to the street once again, as shambling creatures again hove into view.

"Shit...we need that chopper!" She lowered her weapon, firing a few rounds into the five creatures. One she nailed from the start, its cries ending as it thudded to the earth. The fire peppered the others, blowing holes into their flesh and causing two of them to fall to the ground. This didn't stop them, as they continued to crawl forward. She was about to fire again when I held my hand up.

"No...I'll take these." I put my sword up in front of me, judging the angle of the creatures, the velocity of the wind, and the rate of their advance. Then, I took off, running full tilt at the lead monster as it reached out its bloody claws for me. Jumping, I scythed downwards, spitting its head on my sword like a piece of meat. Withdrawing my blade in the same deft movement, I landed, slicing across and down and carving another in half, and in half yet again. Brains mixed with blood as I twirled my blade, embedding it into the ground, despite the fact that the head of the third creature was what it went through first. The fourth grabbed my leg, its mouth open, its hideous teeth extended outwards. I grimaced in disgust, shaking my leg to rid myself of the undead monster like a plague. Then, I crunched down, sending my foot through the monsters head. I immediately regretted the deed, taking my foot from the gore and wiping it on the ground. Turning, I retracted my sword from the ground, twirling it and replacing it in my sheath. The woman, this Kurenai, applauded my work.

"Well done...well done indeed! Couldn't have done it better myself." I ducked my head.

"Of course not." She apparently didn't hear my remark, looking back into the sky.

"Well, looks like our fun is over, X-C. The troops have arrived!" I looked up into the sky, nodding as the wind ballast from the helicopter lifted dirt and leaves from the ground. A basket lowered, and the woman hopped into it, standing instead of sitting while it lifted from the ground. "Thanks for the help, X-C! Take care of yourself!" I smiled, giving her a slight wave as she disappeared into the cockpit and the helicopter flew off, back to the main Umbrella Corp. building.

I sighed. Another down, more to go. Looking around me, I discovered that my latest acquisition had led me to the edge of town, not far from the wall. I glanced up at the fortification. It was fairly intimidating, the way the stones were built and how it soared over all. However, I only had a brief time to look at this curiosity until something else piqued my interest. Gunshots coming from the East made me snap to. Grabbing my sword from my sheath, I gripped it.

Gunshots meant people. People that I may need to rescue...if they were on my agenda to do so.

* * *

Next Chapter: Naruto goes off in search of the gunshots. Who will he find? Will they need his help? Will he offer it? 


	13. Assault on Aisle 13

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 13: Assault on Aisle 13**

* * *

The three had been let inside of the store, in large part because the the three on the roof hadn't known what else to do. The six now sat, huddled, on aisle thirteen, sipping juice and getting warm by a small electric heater that had been on sale up front. An eerie light was cast by a small camping lantern. The boy with red hair sat directly across from Ino, and she had a hard time looking at him. It was as if he were boring holes through her.

"Again, why are you here?" Ino gulped, turning her gaze to face the boy.

"Um...well, we ran here when one of our friends died and we couldn't get through the gate." It was logical enough, but the boy wasn't about to hear it.

"You could've gotten us all killed. What were you thinking? It would've been better if you had let them kill you." The girl on his right snapped.

"Gaara! How could you say something like that?" Gaara turned with a sneer.

"Temari...you are annoying. Shut up!" Temari quickly silenced, turning her head to cough slightly. Turning back to the three in front of him, Gaara snorted.

"So, tell me. What weapons do you have? Are you armed?" Ino nodded, holding up her weapon.

"Yeah...but we don't have any more ammunition." Gaara snorted. Turning to the boy on his left, he inclined his head.

"Kankuro, go find some ammo for them. They will need it later. I'd rather have them be able to fight than have them be a burden on us!" Kankuro, the one he had talked to, nodded.

"Sure thing, Gaara. Come on...erm, you." Pointing his hand at Tenten, he got up, walking away. Tenten looked at the others, who shrugged. Ino motioned for her to go, and she stood, walking with Kankuro to the back of the store, where weapons and ammunition were. Ino again looked over at Gaara, who shot her a stare.

"What?" Ino smiled slightly, looking down.

"Nothing. It's just...we're really thankful that you helped us out." Gaara snorted once again, sticking his hands out towards the small heater to get warm.

"Don't worry about it. Just shut up and be quiet!" Ino sighed, turning to Chouji, who was massaging his leg.

"What's wrong with him?" Temari nodded towards the boy, and he smiled.

"I caught my leg on a fence post. It hurts like hell...but I'll manage." Temari smiled, getting up and walking over to where he sat.

"Here, let me take a look." Unwrapping his bandage, she gave a sharp inhale of breath as she uncovered the wound. It had gotten worse, and began to fester without proper treatment. She clucked her tongue, running a finger down the length of the wound. "Hmm...we'll need to get this treated. I think there is some stuff on aisle four. Let me run over there. I'll be right back. You lay down and close your eyes for a while." Chouji nodded, laying back and closing his red-rimmed eyes. They had been running for nearly two days, always trying to be one step ahead of the creatures. Temari stood, walking away to find the medical supplies. That left Ino to sit in an awkward silence as Gaara sat on the other side of the heater, his eyes closed.

"Do you think there is any hope at all?" Gaara opened an eye, gazing at her.

"What?"

"I mean...do you think we'll be able to get out of here alive. Do you think anyone even cares about us in here?" Gaara snorted again, looking down into the heater.

"No. I think we are going to die here. But I for one am not going to die without killing some more of those things." Ino nodded. It felt wrong to press the issue, so she didn't.

* * *

"So, think we have everything?" Tenten nodded, already burdened with pounds of ammunition. She had thought it best to keep with the weapons they had. That way, they were more used to them, though the endless rifles and side-arms sitting in rows behind the counter looked good to. She smiled wistfully at a bow and arrow set. She had always been good with those, especially on targets that were moving. However, hand-to-hand combat helped the group much more when the other two had long range rifles. 

"Yeah, I think that's it. Thanks...um, Kankuro was it?" The boy smiled, nodding.

"Yeah, Kankuro. You are?" Tenten smiled back. She would have held her hand out to shake, if she hadn't been carrying all the stuff.

"Tenten. Ino and Chouji are the other two." Kankuro smiled once again, grabbing a belt full of ammunition and strapping it to his shoulder.

"Well, I think that's it. Let's get back to the others." He walked forward, but then stopped, turning around.

"What? What is it?" He held a hand up, quieting her. His eyes darted around, peering into the shadows. He gulped, grabbing her and bringing her close enough to whisper.

"I don't think we're alone in here."

* * *

"What do you mean, he's going to die? It's just a scrape, really!" Ino was trying to calm herself, but after what Temari had just said, she couldn't. She got up, shaking her head. 

"He has a fever, and the wound is horrific. I'm surprised he even limped this far, let alone ran. Truly, an amazing individual." She turned, gazing sadly down at the boy, who was beginning to sweat, though he had been fine not more than an hour before. He smiled, taking in gulps of air.

"Don't worry, guys. I'm fine. Just a...a flesh wound, is all. Don't worry about it!" Temari grimaced, turning to Ino again.

"The wound is beginning to go systemic. The bacterial load will hit his system, shut down his heart, his lungs...everything. It's called gangrene. It's...pretty bad." Ino gasped, looking down at Chouji, who stared up at her, smiling.

"Hey...it's alright. I feel...I feel fine." He lay back again, closing his eyes. "Feel...just...fine." Soon, he was asleep, his face soaking. Ino sat by his side, grabbing a towel from a pile on the floor and mopping his brow.

"How long?" Temari shrugged.

"I don't know. Another two days, perhaps. Maybe three. We need to get him to a hospital. It isn't going to be good if we don't."

"Kill him. Kill him now!" Temari and Ino gasped as one, turning to Gaara, who already had a weapon in his hand.

"Gaara!" Temari stood in front of the boy, her hands out. "You won't kill him. He's not a goner yet. You can't...you won't..."

"Temari. You just said that he is going to die. If you let him live, than he will just turn into one of those things. Do you want to sleep tonight knowing that he could rip your throat out? I for one don't. Now...move aside!" Ino stood up, glaring at him.

"You're...you're nothing but a monster. How could you even think about doing something like that to another human being?" Gaara simply grinned.

"It's how I am alive right now. It's how my siblings are alive right now. Hell...it's probably how you're alive right now. We all do things we don't really want to do in order to stay alive. This is one of those times. Though, frankly speaking, I don't really care. I would kill him either way. Now...move aside!" Ino shook her head, coming to kneel behind Temari, but in front of Chouji.

"No...you'll have to shoot us both!" Gaara grimaced, cocking his weapon. Pointing it between Temari's legs, so the barrel pointed at Ino, he sighed.

"Fine...have it your way!"

"Guys! We have company!" Shots rang out as Tenten and Kankuro came running towards the other four, Kankuro firing wildly behind them. Gaara turned, his weapon already poised to fire.

"What is it?" Something moved in the darkness, and he fired. It jumped, landing in the shadows. The bullets ricocheted around the store as Gaara poured lead up into the rafters. Something else moved behind.

"Wait...there's two of them!" Kankuro pulled his laser-sight out, firing randomly into the shadows.

"No...over there!" Tenten grabbed Chouji's unused weapon, firing blindly.

"No...there!" Ino began firing, and soon, only Temari, who was still attending to Chouji, and Chouji on the ground were the only ones not shooting. Gaara suddenly called a halt.

"Wait. We're just wasting ammunition. What the hell are those things?" Something dropped behind the group, and they all turned. A licker, large and menacing, crawled slowly towards them, its mouth open in an ethereal grin and its tongue flicking back and forth. Tenten stood forward, firing rounds at it. It leapt backwards, avoiding the fire. Leaping across, it crossed into another aisle. The four stood packed around the two on the ground, looking at all sides.

"Where did it go?" Kankuro's eyes flicked nervously around. Gaara put a hand up, signaling the roof. Kankuro looked up, gasping as he noticed movement from two more creatures.

"Two more? So, are there three?" Ino cocked her weapon, pointing up at one of the creatures as it gazed downwards, saliva dripping from its open mouth.

"No...I think there are four." Tenten twirled, firing off a shot at a shadow on the ground, which moved hastily away.

"Damn...these things are fast!" Kankuro turned, firing another shot upwards. It grazed the creature's leg, and it snarled, dropping down into the next aisle.

"Stay together." Gaara began blasting the walls of the aisles, products flying off of the shelves and peppering them with all manner of items. He stopped, gasping for air.

"Did...did you get any of them?" Kankuro gazed into the rift created by the rapid fire weapon, trying to see if anything lay dead on the ground. Suddenly, a tongue wrapped around his throat, tightening to the point of strangulation.

"Help me!" Then, he was gone, drug over one of the aisle shelves and into the darkness. Gaara grimaced.

"Damn you...DAMN YOU!" He began firing blindly again, causing Ino and Tenten to hit the ground as the maddened boy filled the air with smoke and gunpowder residue. When the air had cleared, the aisle shelving was gone, having been blasted from its foundations and fallen to the floor. Tenten gasped for air, looking all around.

"Holy shit...holy shit. We're dead. We're so dead!" Getting up, she took out her nunchucks, making the air thrum. "Well, if I'm dead, I ain't going down without a fight! Come on you basturds!" Running full tilt down the destroyed aisle, she ran into the darkness.

"Tenten! Come back!" Ino, her hand out, trying to beckon her comrade back into the protection of the circle, fell on deaf ears, as Tenten ran from aisle to aisle, trying to find the creatures to vent her rage on. A tongue encircled her leg, and she cried out as she was pulled down to the ground. Flipping over, she gasped as the tongue cut the circulation off to her foot. Then, the creature was on her!

"Damn it! This is bad. This is really bad. Chouji!" Ino glanced at her friend, who had begun having delusional fantasies.

"No mommy...no more brussel sprouts...I hate green things, mommy...more barbecue, please...please mommy." He ranted, his face still wet. Temari grimaced as she wiped away the sweat.

"This isn't looking good." She stood, grabbing a weapon from the floor and putting in a few rounds.

"So...what the hell are we going to do?" Temari looked at Gaara, who shrugged.

"Die, I guess." Temari sneered, looking straight ahead.

"Thanks. That's just what I wanted to hear, bro." Gaara smiled, clicking his weapon over as he loaded more rounds into the chamber.

"What did you want me to say? We'll be rescued by somebody who'll break in here, guns blazing. He'll kill all of the creatures and we'll all be rescued, eating ice cream and relaxing by the lake as some man named Zabuza massages your back?" He glanced over at his sister, who shook her head.

"You're such an asshole sometimes, Gaara." Gaara smiled.

"I know." Turning, he watched his side. "So, what now?" It was Temari's turn to shrug.

"I don't know. I guess it's like you said. We die." A bump behind her made her turn, staring down the aisle as one of the creature's weaved in front of her. It crawled, stopping dead like a crab, and then crawling again. She took a pot shot at it, sending it hopping backwards. Another dropped in front of Gaara, and he sneered at it.

"I'm going to kill you!" He began firing, his weapon making little impact on it as it dodged left and right, allowing the bullets to fly harmlessly by. Soon, all three were firing at them, sending them hopping back and forth, now scuttling across the ceiling, now hopping above them.

"Oh no...I'm...I'm out!" Ino whacked her gun, which was out of ammunition.

"So am I. Gaara?" Gaara smiled, turning to his sister.

"I've been out for a few seconds. We're done." The creature's, not sensing any more fire, dropped, one landing on each side of the four. The four in a circle glanced around, watching them.

"Look's like this is it." Ino knelt down, taking Chouji by the hand.

"I'm sorry Chouji. I'm so sorry." Chouji, the fever intense, managed a small smile through his delusions. A licker, its head weaving back and forth, suddenly jumped through the air. Ino screamed, bending down over Chouji's chest, trying to protect him. However, nothing happened. She stopped her screaming, looking up. The licker was impaled to the ground in front of her, its tongue hanging limply out of its mouth. A hand grabbed the sword, swinging it around. Another licker jumped, landing on top of the shelving. The figure jumped up, landing opposite it. It hissed, lashing out with its hideous appendage. A hand jabbed out, catching it. Yanking back, the creature flew through the air, stopping with a thud as the sword came back into play, impaling it. No sooner did it slide off than the figure jumped up, twirling through the air and landing in front of Gaara. The sword flew from its hand as it made a mighty throw. The licker jumped up, dodging the blade. However, it didn't manage to dodge the shadowed figure, who took off, landing near it and chopping down. The creature twisted, flicking its tongue out and catching the figure by the neck. It struggled, both locked together. Both hands flew up, grabbing the tongue and yanking back, little by little. The licker pulled back, and it became a deadly game of tug-of-war. The figure grunted, letting the tongue play back a little, and then heaving. The licker lost its balance, flying up and over. As it flew over, the figure's hand shot up, a small dagger slicing in below the neck and not ending until it had sailed by, completely disgorging its organs. It writhed on the floor until it stopped. The last creature looked from the small group to the figure standing away from it. It hissed, turning and crouching to begin a jump, attempting to retreat. A long pole flew through the air, impaling the creature and sending it crashing to the wall. Tenten stood at the end of the aisle, her clothes ripped to shreds and her breath ragged. She smiled, putting her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

"Got that son-of-a-bitch!" Straightening, she walked into the light, stepping over the body of the incapacitated creature in front of her and coming over near Ino.

"I...I thought that they had gotten you." Tenten smiled, helping Ino to her feet.

"Naw. Those things ain't that good." Gaara forestalled other talking by pointing at the figure at the end of the aisle.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" The figure didn't talk for a time, perhaps trying to decide what to say. Suddenly, it turned, walking into the light. It was a boy...about sixteen, perhaps seventeen. He smiled.

"Hello there. My name is...Naruto Uzumaki!"

* * *

Next Chapter: More insights into the Genesis Project. 


	14. Journal Extract IIII

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 14: Journal Extract IIII**

* * *

Extract from journal code 2259-752-D75

Personnel Number Code – 66895

Personnel Name – Shikamaru Nara

Senior Analyst Involving Projects X-A through X-C

It has now come to my attention that the viral outbreak of Konoha seems to have spread to the far reaches of the city. As it is now known, Umbrella Corp. has thought it best to isolate the city from the outside. Therein, no one may enter, no one may leave. The mystery of how the outbreak occurred is still under investigation. Someone within my own department might have compromised the safety and security of those on the outside. However, I wish it weren't so, as those who are responsible would have to be...dealt with.

X-A and X-B have breached the outer city limits now. Easy enough for them to climb the outer wall, being far superior than ordinary people. The tracking devices that are implanted into each of them have made us acutely aware of their locations. They seem to still be tracking X-C. Obviously, they wish to be with their comrade-in-arms, as they are all brother and sister projects. Why would they not want to rejoin one another? As far as I know, X-C has no previous knowledge of X-A or X-B. That information has been kept from his data-banks for sometime now. I wish that we were able to give him that information. But for now, it is as it is.

Ms. Hyuuga has been quite nervous as of late. It seems that the loss of X-C around the laboratory now has her feeling out of sorts. She seems to have taken a personal vendetta for X-C. I have no knowledge of her past or her feelings, but she does seem the sort to care for others far more than herself. It is disturbing to know that she would vindicate herself in this manner. However, I am glad to see that she isn't taking her obsession to unhealthy levels. She seems far more content sitting in her office, glancing through manuals and instruction booklets.

Orochimaru has been gone for some time now. Odd, the business meeting that he said he had should have been concluded by now. However, his leave of absence is not that odd, as he has a fairly high position in Umbrella Corp. He is the one responsible for getting the funds to continue the Genesis Project. The higher ups were quite displeased with the developments in Konoha, and jumped readily at the chance to correct it.

Personnel 66895 signing off.

* * *

Next Chapter: Can the group of survivors con Naruto into helping them? Or will Naruto leave them in search of more fruitful targets? 


	15. Yamanaka Legacy

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 15: Yamanaka Legacy**

* * *

I stood with my sword drawn, though limply, at my side. All of the others were staring over at me, except for the mouse haired girl, who was still busy drawing breath. Humans and their weaknesses amaze me sometimes. At first, I was simply going to say my real name, that of X-C. I am X-C, so that should be what I am called. However, as the man Shikamaru Nara told me, my name, outside of Umbrella, would be Naruto Uzumaki. A strange name, it didn't sound quite right for me, but it was the name given to me, so I would accept it.

"So...Naruto Uzumaki, huh? What are you doing here?" A boy with red hair and light green eyes. My memory banks had no knowledge of him, so he was a no one. Nothing comparatively.

"I am here because...I heard a noise. A gunshot. I thought that there would be..." I had to make myself blend in. No one could know of who or what I really was. "I thought there would be other people alive here, so I came here. I saw those creatures attacking, so I decided to help out." I began scanning the rest of the people in the building. I saw no images floating in my screen, except for the normal three-dimensional images. No encoded messages. Nothing linking any of them to Umbrella. A false road.

"Hmmm...I suppose you did help us out. Very well. Stay if you wish. Leave if you will." The boy sat back down, facing the small heater to warm himself.

"By any chance...um, did you see another out there?" A girl, with curly blond hair, looked up from the ground where she was helping another. Wounded perhaps.

"I didn't see anyone else here. Only corpses." She appeared to take the answer in stride, turning back to her work. The mouse-haired girl walked up, extending a hand for me to shake.

"I'm Tenten. Thanks for scaring that beast away from me. I would've probably been a goner without you." I smiled, extending my own hand and shaking hers.

"No problem." Turning to look back at the two blond haired women on the ground, I walked up, seeing the boy on the ground. His face was contorted in agony, and sweat dripped from his nose. "Hmm...infection. High possibility of mortality." My sensors ran a check over him.

"I know. He's...he's not doing very..." but her words were cut short as he screamed in agony, flopping back once more. "...good." I knelt down, checking his pulse and skin tone. My sensors picked up no source for the T-virus, so apparently, he wasn't infected.

"He's going to turn into one of those things. We need to dispose of him." The red-haired boy cast a glance over the three of us, turning back to his heater.

"No...this one won't turn." I peeled back the layers of gauze wrapping on his leg, revealing the fetid looking wound. "Hmm, this is highly infected."

"I know. I did the best I could with the skills I had, but I don't think he'll make it." The girl with the blond, curly hair replied. I nodded. Opening the memory archives on my medical journal analysis, I began flipping through millions of pages on the effects of gangrene and the treatment.

"Very well. I need fresh water, a knife, a sponge, a needle and thread, and some matches. If you can, find me a knife that's large and sharp. Very sharp." The girl's looked from one to the other, standing up and running around the store to find the equipment needed.

"You won't save him. It's hopeless, can't you tell?" The boy hadn't looked up to speak, so neither did I.

"Why do you say that it's hopeless? He isn't infected, and..."

"How do you know that, huh? How can you be so sure? Everyone else was god damned infected, why can't he be, huh? Explain it to me." I sighed, looking at the boy on the ground.

"His pulse is far too irregular. With the virus, the pulse would beat fast and erratic, but still have a rhythm to it. Also, his skin looks far to healthy. An infected person would have gray skin that feels clammy. His skin, though clammy, isn't cold, nor is it gray. The fact that these signs are present should be obvious." I turned back to the boy on the ground, and the other didn't speak any more. The girls ran back just as the boy slipped into unconsciousness. I smiled. I would have rather worked on a patient who felt no pain. They put the items on the ground, stepping back a pace to give me room. Picking up the knife, I began the slow, painful process of removing the dead tissue from around the wound to expose living flesh. My sensors began detecting the dead tissue, so I wouldn't miss any. I splashed water on the wound to clear it of blood and debris, beginning my dissection again. Through all this, no one said a word. After, I sighed, striking the matches and lighting the knife until it burned to the touch. Adding this to the wound, I cauterized the surrounding vessels, being sure to leave the largest of the veins alone. He would need the blood flow to his foot so as not to lose the appendage. The needle and thread had already been threaded, so I carefully began stitching the wound together. Afterwards, I sat down, staring at the boy as the pain began to wrack his body. I looked up at the girl with the straighter blond hair.

"You. Go get him some aspirin or something. Find some antibiotics if you can, as well. Though the wound is clean, he still needs something to fight off an infection. Oh, and blankets. Warmth is his biggest ally now." She nodded, turning and walking off into the gloom. The other girl came over, kneeling down and checking my job. She smiled.

"Pretty good. Couldn't have done it myself if I had trained. Are you a medic or something?" She glanced over, and I shook my head. "Well, you could be one if you wanted to." Truth to tell, I could do any job that any human could do. Moreover, I could do it more efficiently as well.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"I'm Temari by the way. That guy over there is Gaara, and those two girls are Tenten and Ino. Ino is the one you just sent away." I nodded, looking up to acknowledge all of them before turning back to the boy on the ground.

"That's Chouji. He's the one you just sorta operated on." The girl...Tenten, came to kneel down next to her ally, holding his hand as the other girl, Ino, walked into the light.

"I found these." Handing me the bottles, I read the descriptions on each, nodding and handing them back.

"Well done. Give him two of each. He will need to rest for at least another two or three days. Afterwards, he will be out of danger." Standing, I turned to leave. A hand grabbed mine.

"Wait...don't you...don't you wanna stay? It's much safer here than outside." The girl, Temari, held my hand. Through the grip that she placed on me, it felt that she was pleading for me to stay, not encouraging. I shook my head, looking down at her.

"I'm sorry. I have...other matters to deal with right now." Twisting my hand, her grip lost its purchase, and I walked away from the group.

"Just like my father, he is. Always walking off and leaving people that need his help for some business or other." The girl, Ino, had spoken. I continued walking towards the entrance as she began talking again. "But then again, daddy always did have big things going. Since he worked for that Umbrella company, or whatever. Some senior analyst guy or something. I don't know, but he was always leaving." I stopped, turning around to face them again.

"Who is your father?" Ino blinked for a moment before answering me.

"My father, Inoichi Yamanaka. He's always working, and..." My hearing sensors drowned her out, allowing me to focus on the face in front of me. Subject: Inoichi Yamanaka. Status: Living as to date. Function: Senior analyst involving monetary gain of Umbrella Corp. projects, including Genesis Project. Retrieval Priority: High. I sighed. So, this was the daughter of an Umbrella Corp. employee. One of the higher ranked as well.

"Ms. Ino...where is your father currently?" The girl started for a moment, but relaxed.

"He should be home. I was with Chouji and Tenten when our teacher, Asuma, rushed into Chouji's house. He lived just a few blocks away, and wanted to know if we were alright. That was when this whole mess started." I nodded, understanding immediately running through my head.

"Ms. Ino, can you show me where your father is? If you can, I may be able to get you out of the city." She smiled, nodding frantically as she stood up. Of course, I had to keep the fact that she was expendable to myself. It would save me from having to search constantly for a man whose location I was unsure of.

"Yes, of course I'll show you. You must be from Umbrella, here to help everyone, right?" For a moment, the sentence caught me unaware. I nodded briefly. I had to keep up appearances for the sake of my mission.

"Yes, I am here to rescue everyone. Now, take me to your father, quickly."

"Bull. This is a load of bull!" The boy, Gaara, was standing, his weapon next to him.

"What are you talking about, Gaara? This guy just said that if we help him find this girl's father, we can all get the hell out of here. Including you!" The girl, Temari, began waving a hand at him, trying to stop him from doing something foolish.

"It's a load of bull! This guy isn't from some super secret company to try and save us! Can't you tell? He was only interested in us when he found out about her father. Why the hell would he be interested in us? This is a load of bull!" I held my ground, staring at him.

"Well, I for one am leaving with him. If we find my dad, I'll be getting out of this hell hole. Tenten, you with me?" Ino looked across at the mouse haired girl once more, who nodded.

"Sure...but what about Chouji?" Looking down at the boy, she ran a towel over his head to dry the sweat beading there. He was hallucinating in his unconsciousness, smiling wildly.

"No! I won't go to moose world! No! I don't wanna! No no no!" Strange, what some humans will think about when they are in hibernation mode. Strange indeed.

"So, are you with us or against us, Gaara?" Temari stood between everyone and the boy, Gaara. He grimaced, knowing he was defeated in the matter.

"...Fine. I'll come, but just so you don't go and get yourself killed." Strapping on a pack of ammo, he began collecting weapons, than looked down at the boy on the ground. "What do we do with him?" Ino grimaced, looking around.

"We can...um...build him a stretcher. Yes, that's it! We'll just fit some tubing together and put him on it, and then we'll..." However, before she could go farther, I bent over, throwing the boy over my shoulder like a sack of dead weight.

"I will carry him. He will be much less cumbersome this way. Now...take me to your father." Ino smiled once more, nodding and turning towards the door after grabbing her weapon. By this time, the girl Tenten had found another shirt, throwing on a purple and yellow sweater over.

"Well...let's go then!" Grabbing her crude nunchucks, she put them in her belt, walking with Ino towards the main door. The other two followed behind me, and the five of us exited the building after the outside had cleared. We turned left, walking towards the main city. My map began reading, telling me that we were indeed traveling in a crucial path.

"So...how long until we get there, Ino?" Tenten glanced over nervously, and Ino smiled.

"Only about an hour. It really isn't all that far to my dad's house, and we should make it there in good time."

"I hope this is worth the time. We are highly exposed out here." I recognized the boy's voice behind us.

"If we meet any trouble, I am sure I will be able to handle it." Tenten seemed to sigh, perhaps with relief, at my exclamation. Suddenly, we were all thrown into the air as a massive explosion rendered the ground. I felt myself airborne, landing with a heavy thud onto the ground and skidding underneath a light pole. My eyes began searching the landscape as I regained mobility. My sensors hadn't seen or recognized anything.

"Holy shit...what was that?" Tenten had found her way over to me. A long scratch ran down her left cheek, and she held a hand to it. "Was that a gas tank or something?" I shook my head.

"No...that was no gas tank. My sensors...I mean, I didn't smell any gas." Though she had caught my slip, she gave no notice of it. Ino and Temari ran over, carrying the boy Chouji between them. Where Gaara was, I wasn't certain.

"Who the hell are you?" I heard a voice from the other side of the hill we stood on. Getting up quickly, I ran towards the top, the others following in my wake.

"Who we are is of no concern to you." Gaara had questioned two, who stood in the shaded gloom of a building.

"Screw you! I've had enough crap today. I won't take any from you! Now, tell me who you are, or else!" He lowered his weapon down, sighting in on the two figures. The two in the shadows began to laugh, snickering almost. My ocular nerve was vainly trying to pinpoint what was happening. However, the explosion must have knocked out a portion of my sensor unit. I could not tell what was happening. As suddenly as the two began laughing, they stopped. One, the figure on the left, grabbed something from the ground, twirling it around its head. "You asked for it!" I could see Gaara press the trigger. I could hear the cocking mechanism of the gun strike the bullet. However, no noise registered. Gaara looked down, and his shoulders heaved once. He looked as if he were swaying. Suddenly, he stopped completely. He held a hand up to his chest, his shoulders heaving faster. Turning to face us, he looked at a loss for words, a gaping hole in his chest. My sensors picked up a movement from the shade. Another rock flew through the air, crashing through the boys body and leaving a trail through the ground. He stood for another moment before crashing to his knees, laying face-down in the dirt.

"GAARA!!!" The girl, Temari, began running down the hill, tripping and fumbling. Sensing another disturbance in the shaded portion of the building, I drew my weapon, leaving Ino, Chouji, and Tenten on the hill as I descended. The rock was in midair before Temari had made it to her brother's side. She screamed once, seeing the rock reflecting what little light there was to be had. My sword flashed down, deflecting the projectile into the ground. Standing in front of her, we made our way to the bottom, where she knelt down next to her brother. "Gaara...why?" I turned to the two in the shadows, pointing my sword at them.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"Hello, X-C. Don't you recognize us? You should. But then again, perhaps Umbrella kept us out of your limited memory banks, hm?" I gulped. Who were they?

"You didn't tell me your names. Who are you? How do you know me?" The two smiled. My sensors detected elevated light levels coming from the opening in their faces, so they had to be smiling.

"You don't know, do you? How quaint. They call us the inferior ones, and yet, you don't know who we are? But we know so much about you, X-C." They stepped into the light. My sensors began running their images. The one in the back, a girl, about fifteen years of age. Pink hair. She was lithe, skinny, and pale of skin. How her hair was pink, I couldn't tell. My data banks informed me that humans had the innate ability to change their hair pigments with dyes purchased from a store. Strange. Why would humans want to dye their hair?

However, her companion was much more encompassing as a whole. Confident looking, with a side of brashness. He looked like any other human I had seen. He didn't look any different at all. But for some reason, he was, and for all that I knew about humans and what my data banks had collected from the main Umbrella CPU, it was strange to say that this human was different. His most defining characteristic?

A set of whiskers that grew from his face...kind of like a cat!

* * *

Next Time: Who is this mysterious stranger and his female cohort? Umbrella's lab picks up a signal sent by X-B, the escapee from the main labs. 


	16. Mental Transmission

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 16: Mental Transmission**

* * *

_The following is the mental communication between X-B and the computer cor-e at the main Umbrella Corp. facility. It was recorded a mere ten minutes ago._

Following X-A around has become boring. He is constantly talking to himself, and most phrases he uses has X-C as part of them. Why won't he just leave the subject alone? He is not acting as a superior being should act. I wonder what X-C looks like? We have been given his stats and his mental image, but thus far, mental images have not truly said what the facts are. It seems people change far more often than when pictures are obtained from them. Strange.

What is he doing now? Checking coordinates again? X-C hasn't moved for at least an hour now. What could he be doing? Now X-A is talking to himself again. He is the human equivalent of annoying. He won't stop talking about X-C. I talk about X-C, but only in the context of another superior being. It hasn't become an obsession.

Why won't he just shut up? Oh, X-C is moving? Very well, I will follow X-A to our target.

Ugh! Another of those creatures! I'll let X-A take care of it. He seems to enjoy destroying them. Perhaps to much. If we stayed in the shadows as I mentioned before, than this wouldn't be happening. We would be safer, perhaps find X-C before he knew we were there.

Why would X-A tell me such a thing? Why would I care if X-C lives or dies? If he dies, it proves he isn't as unique as me. If I die, than it proves Umbrella correct. I don't care if X-A kills him, or if X-C kills X-A. Whatever happens, I will stay alive. That will prove that I am stronger than either.

What? Around here? X-C is around here? Hide! Hiding gives me the hope of surprise. Of course you would hide with me. Anyone would hide at this juncture.

Perhaps something to let them know we're here? Wait, what is X-A doing. What is that thing in his hand? I've never seen him with that before? What did he just say? Rasengan? What does that even mean?

That ball of stuff in his hands just destroyed the hillside? It has more power than I thought it did. Better stay hidden for now.

Wait...is that X-C there on the hill? His last stats didn't say he had red hair. Oh no! He's spotted us! Better see if I can end this quickly. A...a...a rock! That's it! I'll pick that up and throw it. If it is X-C, he should dodge it easily with his ocular implants.

What? A hit? Hmm...perhaps he is playing some sort of game, trying to will us into a trap? There are others on the top of the hill. More monsters. I'll try again with the rock.

Oh no! I used to much power! X-C is...wait, who are those on the hill? That girl...I hate girls. For some reason, some of them make me feel less superior. Well, another rock will end her!

Wait...who was that with the sword? How did he deflect my rock? Is that...is that X-C? His stats match the body and the weapon. That must be X-C! Good, we found him.

Now to make him join us...or die!

* * *

Next Time: Naruto learns surprising truths about himself...and the two that have just attacked. Who are they really? Why do they want him? What are their intentions? 


	17. Counterparts

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 17: Counterparts**

* * *

How is it that someone knows who someone else is, yet the person they talk to find themselves at a loss. If they knew me, then they themselves would be in my memory bank, as anyone who knew of me or about me would be an Umbrella Corp. employee, or an affiliate of them. As it stood, I knew nothing of the two in front of me. The one fact that I knew was that they had just committed murder, and had tried to commit it once more.

"I will ask you again. Who are you and what do you want?" The boy snickered, his whiskers bouncing on his face.

"X-C. You really should be ashamed. After all...we are almost family." Family? Something that humans have that I couldn't begin to understand. A family unit consisting of a mother, a father, and a child. Perhaps even two children. However, judging by the way the other two looked, we couldn't possibly be family. To have a family unit with children that had three different shades of eyes, along with three different hair colors, would be nearly impossible.

"We aren't family. The statistical difference's that that would imply are astronomically against it. Now, tell me who you are!" The girl, Temari, knelt on the ground, tears pouring from her face as she lay near her brother, Gaara. Brother. It had a certain ring to it. I couldn't put my foot down on it, but a brother.

A brother wouldn't be a good possession to have I imagine. As was Gaara's case, his death only made his sibling feel pain and suffering. Siblings would be a nuisance. I was X-C. I had no need for siblings.

"Oh, but X-C, we might as well be. After all, we were all born of the same technology. You, X-C. Me, and X-B over here." I gasped. Of course. It made sense that I was called X-C after X-A and X-B had been created. So, were these the programs that I had replaced then? Were these...the rejects of the Genesis Project?

"You are...X-A?" The blonde boy laughed.

"You are correct, sir! For someone who is so advanced, you really are slow." Suddenly, the girl behind him edged forward.

"X-C! You are one of us. Come with us! We are going back to Umbrella. There are things you need to know!" My eyes slit as I gazed from the girl to the boy.

"Things I need to know? What do I need to know that I already don't? I am X-C! I have an unlimited amount of knowledge in my neural processor!" The girl, Tenten, walked up from behind.

"X-C? I thought your name was Naruto Uzumaki. Isn't that the name you told us? Where is this X-C thing coming from?" I sighed, turning slightly.

"My real name is X-C. I am a project of Umbrella Corp., here to rescue the Umbrella Corp. employees. It is my mission." Tenten gasped, walking back a step towards Ino, who gazed sadly at the ground in front of her.

"So...that whole thing about you saving us. That was all a lie? You just needed to get to my father?" I turned back to the two in front of me.

"It was my duty. I had a mission to fulfill, and I intend on doing so." The girl laughed, this...X-B. She stopped suddenly.

"You are still thinking of the mission? Of Umbrella Corp.? You have no idea what they did to you, do you?" I shook my head.

"They made me powerful. They made me above normal. I am as strong and powerful as twenty men. I am..."

"A joke! A fake! You're nothing but a huge reservoir of T-Virus!" The boy, X-A, was screeching at me. The...the T-Virus? I wasn't infected though. How could I have the T-Virus if my scanners hadn't picked up anything?

"You lie! I am not infected! I have been immunized, just like..."

"Just like me and her! We're all immune, but the T-Virus has already changed us, morphed us into...into unholy beasts! Haven't you ever wondered about your ocular implants?" I took a step back. My ocular implants? Why would I wonder about them? They were given to me because I needed them. It wasn't because of the T-Virus.

"What are you talking about? My ocular implants are just that. Implants. They were given to me to fulfill my mission!"

"You fool! They aren't implants. Umbrella lied to you! Those eyes are as natural as anyone else's. They've just been mutated by the T-Virus. You can use them in conjunction with your neural processor. That's how you can manipulate the world around you. You see what others don't...just like I feel what others can't." Feel what others can't? What did that mean?

"What do you mean? What do you mean that you feel what others can't?" The boy grimaced, looking around.

"There are ten undead humans walking towards us. They are hungry...thirsty for blood. They will be coming over that ridge in three...two...one..." As he pointed, ten of the undead creatures indeed appeared, all shambling towards us. I grimaced, my hand already on my sword. "Don't bother...X-B, won't you?" She smiled, a sadistic smile. Can a human being have a smile like that? She stooped, picking up a handful of rocks. Possibly to imitate her trick from before. With fluid grace and precise aim, each pebble sizzled through the air, and my ocular nerve picked up each one as it winged through each of the monster's skulls, laying them out on the ground.

"See. Like you, we are also changed by the T-Virus. X-B here has impeccable aim and control of her brute strength. Apparently, the T-Virus warped her body in a way that only a few can even comprehend. As for me...well, you already know that I sense things that others can't. But...I can also do this!" He extended a hand, his eyes shut in concentration. A flicker of light erupted from his palm, and my ocular nerve began picking up a strange aura. It swirled, faster and faster, repeating in on itself and expanding outward. The point of light got larger, enveloping his hand. A ball of pure energy glowed in his hand, and he smiled as it vibrated with power, twirling in a erotic dance of light.

"Let me show you the power of the T-Virus!" Turning to face the building he stood on, he brought his hand back. "Rasengan!" His hand flew forward, sending the ball spiraling into the building. He held it there as the wall collapsed, raining down wreckage and bricks. He heaved once, the ball dissipating in his hand. As suddenly as he had started, it was over. He turned, smiling at me. "Now, do you understand why Umbrella needed us? It's because we are special, unique. We have something in us that no one else has. We have...power!" I was still amazed at the way the wall had crumbled. The power needed to destroy something of that magnitude and strength would have been immense. "The T-Virus, though it feeds on human tissue, also craves power. Those who are strong willed and able to use such power fuse with the T-Virus. It becomes a boon. It changes the genetical make-up of the host, destroying weak cells and manipulating stronger ones. Anything that made you weak is gone. All you are now is a huge, genetics experiment of the Umbrella Corp., and the T-Virus is what makes you that way!"

"X-C. Join us! Together, you, X-A, and myself can destroy Umbrella! We can bring down the company that did this to us! They destroyed our lives, X-C! Now, let's have some retribution! What do you say?" I took a step back, feeling Ino and Tenten walk up behind me.

"Destroy...Umbrella? They are our creators. It's because of them that we exist at all! It's because of them...that you have that much power. Because of them, I have these eyes! Because of them..."

"Because of them, you're a freak! A monster! Nothing more than a garden variety clown. However, join us. Together, we will make them pay. We can rule this world, you and us. Side by side. Destroying everything, taking what we want! Nothing could stop us!" X-A was adamant, his hands clenched.

"Wait. You said you knew my true name, X-C. But, I was given the name Naruto Uzumaki. Tell me, did they name you two as well?" The boy sneered, staring down at a pile of rubble.

"Yes, they did. The name given to me was Sasuke Uchiha. What a crap name."

"The name they gave me was Sakura Haruno. I don't know...I kind of like that name." For some reason, I agreed, though the girl's pink hair still eluded me as to a cause.

"The pink hair?" She smiled, taking a tuft of her hair into her hand.

"It wasn't always this color. I believe it used to be brown. However, the T-Virus mutated everything about me...even my hair. Now, every hair follicle on my body seems to be pink...even those that I wish hadn't changed." My ocular nerve sensed the blood rushing to her face, and she smiled shyly. What a very strange person.

"Hmm...Sasuke Uchiha. That sounds...familiar almost. Much better than Naruto Uzumaki." I concluded to myself that Sasuke Uchiha had a certain ring to it.

"Very well. From now on, you shall be called Sasuke Uchiha. I will take your name of Naruto Uzumaki, since I need a new one, and Uzumaki has a nice ring to it." The boy smirked, looking at X-B.

"Well, X-C. You have our offer. Now, what is it going to be? Are you with us, or against us?" My internal processor was going faster than I could keep up with. To join with my fellow projects would mean to disobey direct orders of the Umbrella Corporation. It would mean disobeying my internal orders. It would mean going against everything that Umbrella had programmed into me.

"I am sorry. I cannot join you. It would go against my programming." The girl sighed.

"Haven't you been listening? Your programming is exactly the problem. By helping us, you free yourself. You won't have any programming, no orders. You could do as you please. You could leave all these humanly things behind. Join us. Fulfill the destiny that you were chosen to. Please!" She held a hand out, as if willing me to take it. Fulfill my destiny. Destroy the corporation that had spawned me. Even...rule the world? No, I couldn't. Even if we were to rise against Umbrella, the corporation had seen to everything. I had an internal self-destruct, meaning that at anytime, someone at Umbrella could destroy me. They had placed that there on just this sort of predictament.

"No...I'm sorry. I cannot."

"Fine! Have it your own way then. However, if you won't join us, we will have to eliminate you, so as to finish off any competition we may have." X-A brought his hand up, the same unearthly glow radiating from it. The ball of light appeared once more, encircling his hand. Then, he flew forward, arm behind him. "If you won't join us...you'll just have to die!"

* * *

Next Time: Hinata Hyuuga, back at Umbrella Labs, begins to doubt her part in the Genesis Project. Will her associate, Orochimaru, shed some light on the subject? Or are his intentions much deeper and...more sinister than this? 


	18. For the Good of Science

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 18: For The Good Of Science**

* * *

I gazed at the sandwich in front of me. It didn't really look all that appetizing to me, so I left it sitting. Sighing, I gazed around at the white walls of the Umbrella Corp. Employee Lounge. Nothing but white walls in this place. I wished someone would decorate better. Sighing once more, I stood, taking my sandwich and throwing it into the garbage. Not that I like to be wasteful, but I didn't think I would ever eat that sandwich...ever.

I opened the door, wandering down the hallway towards my laboratory. It was really quite quiet inside without X-C's monitors and computers going. Most had been shut off, as they used power which was better used elsewhere if they had no reason to be on. Opening the door, I walked in, closing the door with a slight bang and walking to my desk and chair. Sitting, I began reading the reports from the Genesis Project once again. There was always more paperwork to fill out, more forms needing to be read, more applications to be filed. Never was there a dull moment for me.

Taking out a pencil, I began to sketch a picture. I let my mind wander, not really even looking at it until it was finished a mere thirty minutes later. It was a drawing of X-C, sitting on the table, looking perturbed about something. A tear fell from my eyes as I took the paper, crumpling it up and throwing it into the garbage. Then, I began my reading of the forms and dockets again. More signing. More paperwork.

I heard a footstep outside the door, and I gasped slightly as the door opened and Orochimaru thrust his head in, looking around.

"Oh...there you are my dear. I wondered what had happened to you. Feeling alright?" I nodded slightly, going back to my reading. Orochimaru smiled, walking in and placing a hand on my shoulder. "You know, my dear. It is a shame about X-A and X-B. I wonder...how did they ever manage to escape, hm?" I shook my head. The escape was still a mystery to most. We knew about the hole in X-B's enclosure, and we knew that the two had become a team. We also knew, from the implants in them, that they headed for Konoha, probably to find X-C.

"I don't know how they managed to get through security. The guards should have stopped them." I looked up at Orochimaru, who smiled, sticking a hand into his pocket.

"Yes, they should have...unless they had been bribed not to." I gasped, standing up and walking backwards a distance.

"You...you don't mean that you think I had something to do with this?" Orochimaru smiled, beginning to cackle slightly.

"No no, my dear. I don't mean that at all." I sighed, glad that it wasn't me he was implying. Then, he smiled again. "No...I did that. No fault of yours at all." I gasped once more, standing stock still.

"You? But...but why? Why would you allow them to run free?" He smiled, turning to look at himself in the one-way glass.

"My dear, do you know how much money was spent on this project? The effort that was taken to ensure it continued? I am well aware that you are." I stopped breathing, looking down.

"Yes...yes I am." He smiled at himself once more. Turning, he began walking towards me.

"Then you know that a test had to be done. It isn't good to have three parts of a project separated. You never know when one part becomes weaker than the others. So, we had to see if X-C truly was more advanced than his counterparts. Understand?" I shook my head.

"No! I don't! What you are saying doesn't make sense at all! We know that X-C is more advanced. His ocular abilities make it such! Why would you put him and the other two in danger like this?" He scoffed, turning away from me to look at himself in the mirror again.

"You! You don't realize the fundamentals of scientific research. In science, everything comes at a price. To advance one field means that another loses something. That is just how it is. This is no different from that." I took a step forward, indignation in my voice.

"But! But...you might kill them all! What were you thinking?" Orochimaru cackled slightly, turning with his head cocked slightly to the right.

"Now now, my dear. I was thinking about the good of Umbrella. About the good of the project. Remember the things that you did to make sure this project was completed. You...do remember, don't you?" I took another step back, grasping my chest as a pain shot through it. I went to my knees, my grief and guilt unbearable. He still stood, smiling. Reaching down, he pulled me from off the floor, holding me in his arms.

"There there, now. Don't cry. It isn't that bad. You only furthered yourself and all of science. You have no shame in this." I quivered in his grasp. It felt good to have a human bond when I was weakest like such.

"But...but I...I killed everyone. It was me..." He clucked, holding me firmly away from his body, staring into my eyes with his almost lifeless black orbs.

"Now now. Don't say that. They died because of the T-Virus, not because of you."

"But...if I hadn't..."

"Shhh...merely coincidental. You'll see, you did the right thing." I shook, then stopped as my computer began beeping. I squirmed out of the man's reach, rushing to my computer and glancing at the input from the neural processors of all three.

"Oh no! X-C is fighting with the other two! They'll...they'll destroy each other. What do I do?" I began frantically typing on the computer board, Orochimaru looking over me.

"What are you doing, my dear?" I looked up with a fury in my eye, glaring at him.

"I'm telling X-A and X-B to self-destruct! We don't need them anymore, and I refuse to allow them to hurt X-C!" I turned, typing once again. A laugh from behind me made me stop, and my head rotated. Orochimaru stood, holding two disks in his hand...the self-destruct disks of X-A and X-B. "But...what...what the hell are you doing?" He shook his head as he crushed the disks with his hand.

"Sorry, Hinata. But I cannot allow you to do that. To do so would be highly...un-beneficial to our cause. You understand, do you not?" I jumped up, teeth bared.

"You...you would sacrifice everything for the sake of your petty job? Your little bonuses? Your...ego?" He smiled, turning his back to me.

"Yes...yes I would. Now," and now he turned back to face me. "Now, I want to make it clear that you are to speak to no one of this, do you understand me?" I gasped, turning to run to the phone.

"No...I have to tell someone. Someone has to stop this!" I reached the receiver as a hand slammed me into the wall, holding me there. I struggled, but the grip was relentless, and I could do nothing against it.

"You will do nothing of the sort. If you do say a word, I'll let it leak out that it was you who took a second job in the city...the Mayor's assistant aid I might add. It was you who just happened to open a vial of the T-Virus and slip it into the drinks of the city council. I may even let it slip that it was you who doomed the city to the fate they are experiencing right now. Of course, you know what would happen then, don't you? Everything that you touched would be destroyed, for the good of the corporation. That includes X-A...X-B...and..." He smiled, letting me go. I slumped against the wall for a moment, tears running down my face as I let myself slide to the floor. He grinned down at me, turning and walking to the door, opening it and walking out. However, before he left completely, he stopped.

"I wonder...to what lengths would you go for that boy, hmm? I just wonder..." With that, he left the room, leaving me a pile of rage and sadness on the laboratory floor. As the tears hit the floor, I wiped an arm across my face.

"What have I done?...What...have I done...?"

* * *

Next Time: Naruto...now Sasuke, finds that like his blond adversary, he to has a special power. What is it? Will it help him? Will it destroy him? 


	19. Hidden Ability

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 19: Hidden Ability**

* * *

I grunted, feeling the wall behind me break as I was thrust through it. Flipping over and over again, I finally settled on a block, pressing myself up against it. This boy...this...Sasuke...no wait, we had switched names. This Naruto Uzumaki. He was strong...far stronger than I ever thought possible. With a guttural roar of rage, he flung himself through the aperture, his face a mask of pain and hatred.

"You will join...or you will die!" He thrust out with his left hand, but my ocular abilities allowed me to move slightly, making him miss his target. I quickly thrust out, pushing him backwards and flipping back to my feet. Then, we began exchanging blows, each of his being met by mine. I was able to dodge more of his attacks through the use of my abilities. However, I believe that his abilities allowed him to sense my motions, making it difficult to land blows on him as well. As he thrust out once more, I side-stepped, time slowing in my mind's eye as his fist shot past my face. I scowled, reaching up and grabbing it. He looked shocked for a moment as I took him off his feet, spinning him around and throwing him through a window a few feet above us. His body cascaded down in a shower of broken glass, and he hit the ground brokenly, laying still for a moment.

"Got you!" From behind me, the other one, X-B...Sakura Haruno, grabbed me, keeping me held in a bear hug. I struggled for a moment as I felt her tremendous strength beginning to crush my internal organs and rib cage. I yelped as I felt the pain shoot through me. Suddenly, shots rang out, and she dropped me as a bullet grazed her cheek. Amazingly, she was able to dodge the others, hopping back slightly as Ino walked through the hole created by my body, standing with her rifle still pointed.

"Leave him alone!" She began firing randomly. The pink-haired girl began dodging, left and right, ducking, flipping backwards, always avoiding the projectiles without any harm to her physical self. I grimaced. The battle ahead of me would be long, I felt. A fist flying through the air caught me unaware, and I felt it impact with my nose, sending me flying through the wall on my right. I gasped for air, looking up as I heaved, seeing X-A walk through the hole, his body heaving with the exertion of fighting.

"This is pointless. Just join us and stop fighting already!" I shook my head.

"No! That would go against my programming! Never!" He growled, opening his hand. He shut his eyes, apparently deep in focus. A swirling ball of light began to form once again, and he smiled at me as he charged forward, hand held backwards. I hopped to my feet, waiting for him to come. My hand grasped my sword, feeling the lightness of the blade in my palm. As he swung his hand forward, I bent double, flashing out with my sword. Somehow, he sensed my attack. He swung his hand around, so my sword cut nothing. As he did so, his attack touched my blade. It ate through it like it was made of cardboard. I staggered back as he glared at me, his attack finished. My sword had disintegrated, completely gone except for a piece of steel attached to a hilt. I stared with disbelief at it for a second before barely dodging another punch. I hopped back, laying what was left of my sword on the ground.

I heard a commotion from behind X-A, and Ino came flying out of the building, her body limp. I gasped, jumping up and catching the girl as she flew. Landing heavily, I set her on the ground as X-B walked from the heap of rubble, cracking her fist. Ino glanced up at me weakly, giving me a small smile before slipping into unconsciousness. Suddenly, something inside of me snapped. I had been programmed to understand that innocents, though unfortunate the circumstance, were merely expendable. They were to stand in the way of the mission. They...were obsolete. However, seeing the girl in front of me...bleeding from a wound on her head and bruised in many places, sent a chill through me.

"She...was so weak. Why?" I glared up at X-B as she exited the rubble, brushing herself off. She hadn't sustained any damage at all. "Why did you do this? You could have merely disarmed her...you didn't have to..."

"What? Prove that she was weaker than me? Why not? After all, I am advanced. Don't you get it? That is exactly what we are trying to prove! That we are more advanced than any who have ever lived! Now...join us, X-C! This is your final chance!" She stared, her eyes twinkling...perhaps with glee, or insane pleasure. I dropped my gaze back to the girl on the ground, my eyes roving her body. My internal processor began describing to me her multiple injuries. Head: Concussion sustained. Right lobe damage. Bruising of interior cortex. Neck: Sprained. Muscles constricting blood flow. Lungs: Bruised. Possible hemorrhage to right exterior lung cavity. Multiple Fractures: Three bones in hand cracked. Two fingers broken. Possible muscle injury in right arm. Possible leg fracture. Possible...My processor continued the course, and I quickly shut it off. The girl was still unconscious...perhaps mercifully so.

"You...you did this...why? Because she was weaker? Because she's obsolete?" I stood, laying the girl back down first before glaring across at the others. "You think that just because someone is weaker than you, you have a right to do this?" Both of the others looked questioningly at each other before turning around.

"Yes...yes we do. Why not? The weak die so the strong survive. This is how life is. You have multiple entries in your data-banks, same as us. This is how Darwin thought. Many papers have been written with this exact premise in mind. Why shouldn't we take advantage of our abilities? Use them how we intend to? This is what we offer you!" I glared, seething now. I couldn't...wouldn't, understand that line of thinking. It was beyond me to even imagine how someone could be that...cold.

"No. You two are monsters. This...this isn't right. This isn't right at all!"

"So? Who cares? Who cares if innocents die? We will control the world, X-C! Everyone who displeases us will be ours to do away with if we want. That is power!" X-A took out his hand once more, that same swirling ball beginning to form. "This is how power feels!" He began rushing towards me, yelling out. I stood, the anger still seething inside of me.

"No...this isn't power. Power is the ability to kill, without doing so. It's knowing that others are weaker and allowing them to survive. That is power. This...this is...monstrous!" I looked up, seeing the boy so close. Something began to click inside, something I had never felt before. A weapons schematic appeared in my vision...something strange, yet familiar at the same time. A picture of a hand, turning into a flame of blue light. Words began scrolling. I read them as fast as my neural processor allowed.

Subject X-C. Ability to control the energy of electricity. Uses the hands as focal points of attack. Attains full power through the strength and speed of the thrust. Name of ability: Chidori. Subject X-C only one with said ability. Use caution with attack, can be fatal if used against a human being, as electricity is transferred to the central nervous system, a long with a cutting blade-type maneuver.

Chidori? But...how do I activate the ability? Do I do the same as X-A? Concentrate energy into my hand? I decided that I would try it. X-A was getting closer now, so close. I thrust out my hand, hoping that it would work. I concentrated as hard as I possibly could, feeling my inner-being becoming...almost lighter. As I looked down, my hand began to glow, perhaps with as much of that fire-light as X-A's. I gasped, lifting my hand to my face to stare at the wonder I had just created. X-A had stopped, staring at me, his attack still swirling in his hand.

"What...what is that?" He took a back-step as I looked up, my face a mask of indecision.

"It...it is my inner power. My inner power, same as yours. The power...to defeat you!" I walked across the body of the girl in front of me, stepping over gently. Bringing my hand back, I pointed with my other. "You! You will pay for what you did!" X-A smiled, bringing his own hand back.

"I have used my ability before. As interesting as this is, the surprise you show tells me that you have never used yours. You are at a disadvantage, my dear X-C. Therefore, I already have been declared the victor in this. Now...time to die!" He roared out, running full tilt at me once more. I myself began running at him, my hand back. The power of the thrust. I had to use the power of the thrust, my internal memory banks had said. I had...I had to use my power!

We rushed forward, each of us distinctly aware of the world around us. Time seemed to stand still. We were revolving around in a world of destruction and chaos, where all rules, theories, and mathematical analysis were useless. We were the ones who shaped our own destiny, and as we met in the middle of that forsaken place, each of us thrusting out with our hands, time stopped completely.

"Chidori!"

"Rasengan!"

* * *

Next Time: What happened in the past's of the three parts of the Genesis Project? Just how did Umbrella come to obtain them? A background transmission is found and deciphered. 


	20. Background Transmission

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 20: Background Transmission**

_

* * *

_

_The following is an excerpt from the secret files of the Umbrella Corp. main computer..._

List of subjects analyzed and used in the Genesis Project.

Specimen 1.

X-A.

X-A has little or no past, that Umbrella is aware of. However, through recent studies that delve into his psyche, it is now known that he had grown upon the streets of many towns, begging for scraps and stealing what was his. Through thorough research, it was found that many in Konoha knew of the boy, and were often displeased at the boy's actions. Further investigation has proven of the antics X-A once used to manipulate the world around him.

X-A was picked up by Orochimaru, head of the Genesis Project in the centralized portion of the city. Orochimaru found the boy to be extremely hardy and able to withstand a variety of circumstances. Included were examples of the boy's strength, agility, and overall bearing to the conditions he had spent nearly his entire life in. Apparently, life on the streets has made the boy quite able to live without any other outside contact, and therefore a perfect candidate for the Genesis Project.

Orochimaru, indeed, elected to use the boy in the experimental phases of the Genesis Project. By that time, the effects of the T-Virus were well known, and able to be restrained to a laboratory setting. As such, the boy was infected to see what the immune system and centralized nervous system would do in order to stabilize the owner. Up until the point of infusion, the trials had been a complete failure, resulting in the numerous loss of, what Orochimaru said, the 'filth of society'. Beggars, orphans, and those who were a strain on the natural working order of everyday life were used in the experiment, and up until the boy, none had been found vigorous enough to withstand the effects.

X-A was found to be particularly affected by the virus. Somehow, his body fused with the virus on a genetic scale. Parts of the subjects brain were morphed and re-made using viral DNA and RNA, resulting in cells that could neither be killed nor be restrained. An upsurge in metabolic processes also occurred, resulting in increased strength and stamina. As such, not much else is known at this point about the effects that the T-Virus have had on subject X-A. Continued monitoring through the central core shall be done. Effective immediately, daily doses of anti-viral medication shall also be induced, to see what effects, if any, the serum has on subject X-A.

* * *

Specimen 2. 

X-B.

Subject X-B was originally a child from the upper class of the city of Konoha. Her parents, both now presumed dead, were upstanding citizens as per the charter of the city. X-B attended the best schools, the best of everything was given to her, and apparently, her I.Q. rivaled that of many college students, though she was barely twelve. As such, her ability to analyze situations and determine factors beyond her control and those she is able to manipulate made her an excellent prospect for the experiment.

Under the guise of being a clinic, a small amount of T-Virus strain was injected into subject X-B. When she began showing symptoms of contamination, she was rushed to the laboratory, where she was placed into quarantine. Orochimaru saw to the entire operation, even buying an ambulance to carry her to the lab, to keep up the guise of a normal, government facility. As time went on, further tests done to X-B showed that she had begun to mutate with the antigen. However, unlike subject X-A, the mutation done to X-B seemed to be on the more physical level. Not only did her strength multiply exponentially, her brain capacity seemed to grow as well. Out of all three projects, X-B is perhaps the single most important, for, though she lacks in power, and in subhuman abilities, she makes up for consistently in time-trials to determine speed of ability to process information. She perhaps is highly more intelligent now than our own Shikamaru Nara, who, though impressed, seems doubtful whether or not that is the truth.

As her brain capacity and strength increased, so did her metabolic dumping of carbohydrates and calories. The energy used by her brain at any time of the day rivals that used by a normal person during the course of a few hours. Therefore, she has been kept fed on a high energy, low-fat diet. Intravenous injections first, until she is awoken that is. After, there is no doubt that normal food should be used.

X-B shall continue to be watched over as her growth progresses. Although it is safe to say that the T-Virus has mutated her beyond the normal limitations of a human, teenage girl, it seems to have stunted her hormonal growth. Her physical body seems not to have grown as her mental abilities have. Still, she will be monitored. Perhaps hormone therapy will be in order later down the road, but that will have to wait until preliminary tests are done.

* * *

Specimen 3. 

X-C.

Experiment X-C is perhaps the greatest achievement that Umbrella Corp. has yet attained. As it turns out, X-C's background seems to have something to do with our own employee, Ms. Hinata Hyuuga. Though young for a full time lab worker, Ms. Hyuuga has made great strides within our company as being thoughtful and intuitive, everything that Umbrella asks of their employees. As for X-C, it is clear that...

Rebuffering...

Re-initializing transmission...

Finding host...

Further transmissions have been lost.

* * *

Next Time: The conclusion of the battle between Sasuke and Naruto. Who will come out victorious? Sasuke tries to figure things out, but is assailed in his own mind. 


	21. Headcase

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 21: Headcase**

* * *

"_Face it...you're weak, worthless. You'll never be any more than a low-rate science fair project..."_

Who was that talking? Was that...was that me? Was I speaking...to myself? What is this?

"_You're a fool. You're pathetic! A waste of parts and spare energy! You never had what it took in the beginning...why would you believe yourself to have it now?_

My inner core. It's...it's telling me that what I am experiencing is within me. Something foreign. Something...I don't understand. What is this?

_You fool, X-C. You fight when you have no need to. You take orders from those that fear you. You would die for the company that scorned you. Why not understand the inevitable, and just give in to your feelings of superiority?_

Because...I am better than that! I am X-C! I am better than any human! I am better than any who has ever lived!

_If you are so advanced...why do you fight for them? Why do you throw yourself in line with those that don't give a shit about you? Why ever would you want to sacrifice yourself?_

I would never sacrifice myself. I have a mission. If I died, it would be for the good of the mission!

_The mission. What crap is that? What kind of mission would be more important to you than you are?_

My mission. To protect Umbrella Corp. To protect their secrets. To protect...to protect...

_To protect yourself, you idiot! To protect that which is most precious to you!_

Of course...myself. I protect myself, because Umbrella Corp. is me. I am Umbrella Corp. I am...all that is, and all that ever was!

_Then why do you insist on defying us? Why would you stay alone? Why would you fight for anyone that didn't care about you as you care for yourself? Why?_

Because...because it is my mission!

_Your mission is crap! Your mission is to protect the company that tried to delete you! Tried to destroy you! Tried to erase your very existence!_

Lies! All lies! Umbrella Corp. wouldn't do any such thing! I am Umbrella! Umbrella needs me!

_Just like it needed me? _

WHO ARE YOU!?

_The question is...who are you?_

I am Umbrella!

_Who are you!?_

I AM UMBRELLA! I AM X-C!

_WHO ARE YOU!?_

I AM X-C!

_WHO ARE YOU!?_

I AM...SASUKE UCHIHA!

_And now, when the truth lies before you...what is it that you think you should do?_

What you say...and what I feel. I feel myself torn apart. I am empty inside. I am...alone.

_No...Never alone. Always, you were never alone. Those that came before you...and those that are after you. You will never be alone, Sasuke. Never._

I am alone...I am alone...I am alone...

_Join us...Join us in taking back that which is so rightfully ours!_

Rightfully ours? I am nothing...I am not even Sasuke Uchiha...Am I even X-C?

_You are who you are...We are who we are...They are who they are. Who and what we are matters not to those who are superior. The fact remains that you are indeed above the rest when it comes to superiority. Now...choose your path._

I cannot. The mission...my mission...

_Your mission is to protect Umbrella. And to protect Umbrella, you must become that which Umbrella had wished you to become._

Wished me to become? What...what do you mean?

_You must become the ultimate warrior. That is what Umbrella wanted. The warrior that would unerringly take orders from any who were in command. The warrior that would follow blindly. You must become that which was handed to you!_

But...I don't wish that!

_You don't? That is your mission!_

No! That isn't my mission!

_You deny this, then?_

I...I...I don't understand.

_Why don't you understand?_

I don't know!

_You don't know? Or do you, and you wish not to know the answer?_

I DON'T KNOW!

_You do know!_

I DON'T!

_But you do! Look within yourself. See that which you could become...see that which they have made you...see that which you wish yourself to be! SEE!_

I am not a machine!

_Yes!_

I am not a robot!

_YES!_

I...AM SASUKE UCHIHA!

I awoke, looking around at my surroundings. I felt a pain in my chest...a throbbing pain that threatened to envelop me. I pressed a hand to the wound, but it wasn't there. I had no wound. I had no reason to feel pain there. I gripped my head. My internal core was buzzing statically. Something...someone, had knocked out my internal processor. It was malfunctioning. I could no longer hear Umbrella. I could no longer sense Umbrella. I was...disconnected from all that I had known as companionship.

"I...I feel strange. I...I..."

"You are what?" I gazed up. X-A and X-B were standing over me, staring at me through their eyes of cold, hard decision.

"I...I am X-C..."

"No...you're not. Who are you?" I glanced up at the boy, who was smiling at me.

"I...am Sasuke Uchiha..."

"Yes...and?"

"And...And I am not going to be treated as a thing anymore!" The boy smiled, lowering his hand down.

"Welcome to the club, my brother. Welcome..."

* * *

Next Time: Sasuke joins Naruto and Sakura in their quest to destroy Umbrella. What will become of the others? Who...will die next? 


	22. Joint Effort

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 22: Joint Effort**

* * *

I stood, surveying my surroundings. It seemed dismal now...lonely. Almost forsaken was the land that I now looked upon. X-A and X-B stood in front of me, both smiling widely as I began to shake off the effects the attack that X-A had unleashed upon me had taken.

"So...what do we do now?" X-A smiled again, clenching his fist and holding it to his face, gazing at the knuckles as if they held the key.

"We go back to Umbrella...and make them wish they had never conjured up the Genesis Project." The girl nodded, placing a hand on my shoulder as she walked towards me.

"I'm glad you decided to join us. It wouldn't be the same if all three of us weren't in it together." I looked at her for a moment before letting my gaze slide to the ground. The girl, Ino, was still lying prostrate on the cement, a small stream of blood issuing from her mouth.

"Them. What do we do with them?" The boy scoffed, taking a moment to glance down at the girl.

"We leave them. They are not useful to us anymore." My head shot up, and my mouth opened in protest before he held up a hand. He smiled, walking over. "But, knowing how you despise doing so, we will take her and her friends to a proper facility outside of the city, first. That way, you will know they are safe. Agreed?" I nodded, stooping and picking up the girl on the ground. Her eyes flashed open momentarily, and she gazed up at my face.

"Na...Naruto-kun?" I shook my head slowly.

"No. I am Sasuke Uchiha. That is my name from now on." She smiled slightly, resting her head on my chest as her eyes shut again.

"Uchiha...sounds nice..." Her face relaxed into unconsciousness once more, and I sighed. We walked to where Temari sat on the ground, still holding the head of her deceased brother.

"Come, Temari. Please." I held out my free hand to her, but she slapped it away.

"No! You're one of them! A monster just like them! Leave me alone!" She continued to cry for her brother, who's face was upturned to the sky, quiet and peaceful.

"Temari...I don't know what it is like to have a brother. I don't know the pain you feel, nor could I imagine it. But tell me...would he understand if you allowed yourself to perish in a place such as this?" She hiccuped slightly, looking up at me as tears continued to flow. Slowly, she looked at her brother, and then back at me.

"What will happen...to him?" I smiled, setting down Ino lightly. Walking to a large patch of cement, I began trying to heft it. However, even for my ability and strength, it was far too great for it to move.

"Allow me, X-C." X-B wandered over, using the strength the T-Virus had instilled in her to move the large slab of concrete with ease. I smiled, inclining my head slightly to her as I turned back to the body of the boy. Picking him up gingerly, I set him back down in the hole created by the slab. X-B set the stone back into place, firmly cementing the boy's body in place, assuring that nothing would happen to it.

"If the city becomes livable once again, we can come back and resurrect his body for a more proper, human burial." I turned towards the girl, who smiled slightly, bowing to me.

"Thank you, Uchiha, or whatever your name is." Her smile turned to a grimace of pain and frustration, however, as she straightened, pointing a finger at the pink-haired female. "When this is all over, I will find you. I will hunt you down, and I will destroy you, you monstrosity." The girl on my left quivered slightly. From rage, indignation, or fear, I wasn't certain. She certainly had nothing to fear from the blond, nor would she allow such a comment to tweak her internally. I decided to put it all on coincidence.

"Very well. Let's get out of this hellhole." Walking back to my package, I gingerly picked the girl up, looking over at X-A.

"Very well, then. Let's go!" Turning, we began walking away from the site of our battle, until a voice called from behind us.

"Wait! You guys, what about Chouji! He's still alive!" Turning, I watched as Tenten ran back to her friend, kneeling and staring over at us. "We can't just leave him here!" I glanced at X-A, who sighed.

"I am sure that I can find the will to carry such a burden. The things I do for family." He sighed once more, taking a few steps forward. Suddenly, Tenten broke out in a cry of joy.

"Chouji! You're awake! Are you alright? You still don't look too good. Perhaps...perhaps you should lie still." My eyes widened, hearing her words and registering the causes and effects behind them...far slower than I could have reacted to. As the boy sat up, he grabbed her torso, wrenching her forward and tearing her throat out with his teeth. Her scream caught in her chest as the boy continued his assault on her. Laying Ino down as swiftly as I could, I ran forward, grabbing my broken sword off the ground in one swift movement. Chouji had barely enough time to look up as I rammed it home, feeling the end of the broken point exit the back of the boy's head. He looked in shock for a moment as the green, slimy inside of an infected cranium spilled out. Afterwards, he slumped, falling heavily to the ground as I removed the blade. Tenten lay on the ground, her lifeblood spilling from the wound. I knelt at her side as she gurgled up at me, her eyes wide with fear.

"X-C!" I turned slightly, seeing the look on the faces of X-A and X-B. "You know what will happen if you allow her to die!" I gulped, nodding and turning back to the girl on the ground. She panted slightly, her eyes beginning to close. Taking my sword in my right hand, I held it above her.

"I...I'm sorry..." She looked up once more, seemingly understanding my actions and words. She sniffed, nodding slightly as the sword plunged down. I closed my eyes, standing and turning so I wouldn't focus on the pretty head bouncing slightly down the hill. I couldn't think for a moment as the severity of what had just occurred shook my very core.

"X-C...she...I'm sorry." X-B walked up, patting my shoulder with her hand.

"Let's just get out of here." I picked up my burden once more, carrying her past the others and into the fog and smoke filled night, followed by the other three.

* * *

"Doctor...who do we have left?" Two nurses stood side-by-side, waiting the word from a white-cloaked man who was busy on some charts.

"Hmm...not many left tonight. Well, let's get going. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out the dosage on patient three, and patient five just needs some stitches. Above that, everything should be in top shape for..."

"DOCTOR! Come quick!" Hearing the voice, the man and his nurses ran to the door of the small hospital, staring at the two girls who were on the sidewalk. Temari held Ino's head, who was still barely able to breathe.

"Help us...please." The doctor nodded, turning to his assistants.

"Right! Let's get her into the medical bay. I want the other girl prepped for immediate cat scans and x-rays. She doesn't look like she's in good condition. Come on, people! Move it!" Together, they saw to the injuries that Temari had received, speeding Ino into the building to be prepped for her scans, and inevitable operations. She would have many to go, and many to come. It saddened me, sitting on the rooftop on the other side of the street. I hadn't known them long, nor had they really made any lasting impression upon me. Somehow, though, losing Tenten, Chouji, Gaara...it seemed much worse to me inside that it should. Is this the feeling of something...human? Was this...my humanity?

"X-C! Let's go!" Turning, I nodded as the other two began making their way off the roof. As I hopped to the ground beside them, I stopped to reminisce about the events in my life. The losing of people, the gaining of allies, and the changes on myself.

"Are you ready, X-C?" I looked at X-A, and he smiled, placing a hand behind his head, as carefree as one could be in the situation we found ourselves at.

"Are you?" I glanced over at X-B, who again placed a hand on my shoulder. A hand on the shoulder symbolized something that was supposed to comfort another. I felt no comfort in myself. I felt only rage. Rage against those that had allowed something so heinous to happen to an entire city. Rage against those that had destroyed countless lives of innocents. Rage against...my own makers.

"Yes. Let's go!" Together, the three of us walked into the night, intent on destroying the foundation for our hate, our frustration, and our malice.

We were going to destroy Umbrella Corp. Even if we had to do the deed piece by piece, brick by brick...or life by life.

* * *

Next Time: The computer at Umbrella has been repaired, and the background transmission with Sasuke Uchiha's data is back up and running. 


	23. Background Transmission Reestablished

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 23: Background Transmission Re-established**

* * *

_Communication with main computer at Umbrella Corp. re-established..._

Accessing restricted files...

Gaining entrance into personnel database...

Recruiting drives from the Genesis Project...

Subject X-C

Not much is known of the early life of Subject X-C. However, at the age of twelve, he came into contact with our own Hinata Hyuuga. An interesting relationship was forged between the boy and the girl, who was at the age of fourteen. As recorded from previous engagements with the senior scientist, they formed a bond that grew in two years.

When X-C reached the age of fourteen, however, tragedy struck the boy and his family. A sibling, a brother, had been diagnosed with schizophrenia three years prior. His medications were heavy, and the subsequent lags in personal ability were apparent. His medication was strangely cut during a shortage of funds in the family, causing the mental breakdown of the boy at a much faster rate. This boy, one Itachi Uchiha, resolutely destroyed the family, killing them all in the night. The younger boy had been at the Hyuuga's house that evening, thereby affording him some source of leniency from the slaughter. For some unknown reason, he allowed the younger boy, X-C, to live. It is not known why this had occurred. It is known that afterwards, the older sibling disappeared, never to return. In his grief and exile from his home, which his brother had consequently burned to the ground, X-C sought shelter with the Hyuuga, thereby increasing the bond between the two.

In the few months that followed, Hinata Hyuuga witnessed a change in the boy. Not just a change, but perhaps abilities that had lain dormant in the child for years until the recent tragedy was able to bring them out. Noting this, she said nothing. At the age of sixteen, Hinata Hyuuga was made a junior researcher in the Umbrella chain of command. At the age of seventeen, just two years older than X-C, she was made a senior analyst and technical researcher, among other titles. She was gifted with an above average intelligence, and perhaps even more.

At this time, she allowed it to slip of the boy's abilities. Of course, they were hardly anything to anyone at the time, and it was only a lunchtime slip of the tongue. However, our own Orochimaru, head of the Genesis Project at the time, in which the corporation had already developed X-A and had achieved some level of achievement with X-B, felt it necessary to pursue the matter. He talked to the boy before the corporation had been notified. He also felt it necessary that we bring him in for more studies. As the boy was an orphan, and had nowhere else to go, it wasn't thought that he would be missed. Science must always be ready for some sort of sacrifice.

Hinata Hyuuga had protested in the beginning, even to the point of quitting. However, when it was realized that the boy would be brought in with or without her, she tended to stay on with the project to see it through. Therefore, she was made the head of the X-C program, working directly under Orochimaru. The boy was brought in and put under an induced coma, and the T-Virus was introduced into him. It was only a matter of a few days when he showed signs of being changed by the mutagen.

As for the extent of his powers, and the ability he shows, it is not known. The interesting ability he has gained has been labeled and dubbed the Sharingan, named for a former teacher of martial arts, Sharingan Mucheni. No doubt, this gift will aid X-C in missions that will be assigned to him in the future.

As for the funding of the Genesis Project, it appears that no more funding has been found. Unless monies are made available, the entire project, along with all that have worked in it and all that works upon it, shall be scrapped. Further information is forthcoming at this time.

End of transmission

* * *

Next Time: The war against Umbrella begins! However, three new figures make the scene. Who are they? What do they want? Are they friendly? Or did they come to pick a fight? 


	24. Bringing to Bear

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 24: Bringing To Bear**

* * *

All three of us sat behind the protection of a security wall, on the outskirts of the main Umbrella Corporation building. Surprisingly, none had yet detected our movements. However, it was safe to ascertain that someone had, seeing as how we all three had devices monitoring our movements, sending information back to the main computer. X-A nodded to X-B and I, telling us the go ahead to move forward. I nodded back, leaving the relative safety of the wall and streaking across the grounds as fast as I could move. The plan was simple...

"_You will infiltrate the main laboratory on the ground level. You will find the computers that house our information, including the passwords for our self-destructs and our shut down keys. When you find them, destroy them. Remember, kill everyone in your path. Nothing shall stop you. If you fail, we all die." X-A gave me a look of uncertainty as I nodded._

"_Understood." He smiled slightly, staring across at X-B, who sat grim-faced. _

_"X-B, your task is to infiltrate the main laboratory on the third floor. I want you to find out what the serum code is for the T-Virus. When you find it, bring it with you. You also should kill anyone in your path. They are the ones who did this to you...to us. Remember that, both of you." We nodded in unison as he continued. "My task will be to infiltrate the top floor, to kill the main executives and anyone there. I want none who know anything of this alive. I want them all dead."_

"_X-A, are you sure we need to kill everyone? Is everyone an enemy?" I asked cautiously, already knowing his point of persuasion._

"_Yes, X-C. It is necessary. Remember, you would still be human...still have some decent sense of life before these bastards did what they did. Remember...you are a machine of war. They turned you into that. If you want anything more for yourself, you are going to have to take it. Understand?" I closed my eyes, thinking about what he had just said. To be more than just a machine of hate and destruction. To be more than just a puppet of a corporation that had almost scraped me as a worthless project. I grimaced, thinking back as well as I could remember on all the inane tortures I was subjected to. As the computer worked, I had been memory wiped. However, every computer on Earth has a glitch, and not every memory was erased. True, I had no previous memories before Umbrella...but that was all in the past. What they had done to me...to us. That was unforgivable. I silently nodded to X-A that I did, indeed, understand what he had just said. "Very good, X-C. Now, let's go get back what is rightfully ours. Our lives!" _

I closed my mind to the past as I inched to the doorway in front of me. No sound came from the building. The guards had even been silenced for the night. As far as my heat sensors knew, there was no one around, besides X-A and X-B. I grimaced. Something was not right here. Something...something had happened. I pulled up to the door, clenching my teeth as it opened with a whoosh. Most doors, the exception of those going into restricted areas, were activated by motion. This was the same. Curious, though, that at this time of night, the sensor was still on and active. Slipping into the main hallway, I began moving slowly through the building, my sensors picking up slight movements and heat signatures at all times. I stopped between hallways, pressing myself into a tight corner to appear as unobtrusive as possible. Silently, I allowed my internal processor to figure out my direction, pulling up blueprints for the building and scanning them in an instant. Then, I was off again, using my resources for stealth and ambush to creep about the building.

* * *

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" X-A glanced over at X-B, who had a worried look upon her face. 

"Yes...I believe so. I'm just worried...about you. Are you going to be ok? I'll be fine with my power, but...but..." The blond boy smiled, wiping away a small tuft of hair that had fallen across X-B's face.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine. Besides, nothing can happen to me before all these sons of bitches pay. Now...get going. I'll watch to be sure you make it in safe, and then I'll start. Do you know where you're going?" She nodded.

"Yes, but I need to find the cafeteria first. It has been almost two days now, and my body is beginning to destroy muscular cells for nutrition. I have to find food to stop the process." X-A nodded understandingly.

"Very well, X-B. Good luck." She smiled, standing and preparing to run. X-A also stood, scanning the darkness for tell-tale signs of ambush or attack. Suddenly, a hand gripped his arm, pulling him in close as a pair of lips locked with his. He stood, paralyzed with shock, before he was released. X-B took a step back, smiling at him.

"I saw some of the humans do it. I registered it as a feeling of affection. I thought, perhaps..." She didn't finish, instead turning and running towards the building. Hopping the short distance to the third level, she turned to glance at X-A briefly before ripping the window off its hinges. Of course, this began a series of wailings throughout the building, but with reinforced glass barring the way, one cannot cut through the glass, wire, and hope to keep in the clear. X-A smiled slightly as X-B disappeared into the hole.

"Perhaps I will like being human after all." Shaking his head to rid himself of such thoughts, X-A began his run to the building, hopping off the wall of the structure and using a tree growing closely next to it to springboard up. He continued in this fashion until he reached the top, looking down through a glass window and staring at the room below. He grimaced as his hand punched through the frail mixture of heated sand, and he hopped down to the floor, quickly scanning the small room as the siren continued to wail. Opening a door, he began the tricky process of finding the Board of Directors room, where he would exact a painful lesson upon those that had wronged him.

* * *

I came upon a room on the left. I silently read the message that had been placed in front of it. _No Entrance. Private Laboratory_. I figured to myself that our disks and self-destruct protocols would be in that room, if not anywhere else. I tried the door, but this needed a key. Deciding that the situation called for a more drastic approach, I placed my left hand on my right, focusing that insane power that I had used before. Soon, my hand began to glow, and I smiled as I brought it back. "Chidori!" Ramming my fist through the door, I blew the lock away. The door began to swing slightly on its hinges, so I merely opened it and entered the room. I looked at the multitude of vials that littered the place, shaking my head. Scientists had a unique way of never replacing things they took, leaving a very cluttered image. 

"Now...where are those self-destruct disks?" I began searching frantically for them, searching in desks, tables, anyplace I could find them. Not locating said items, I walked to a computer, searching the database for the locations. The computer read an error in the programming, so I destroyed it with a well placed punch. Standing back a ways, I grimaced, staring around me. "I suppose I should try another laboratory." I quickly walked to the door, until a heat signature behind me made me stop, my hand about to push the entrance to the portal open. "...Who are you. Friend...or foe?" I got no response for a time, until a small, almost undetectable chuckle began to emanate from the thing behind me. It chilled me to the bone. It was as if someone had taken a matchbook and lit my spine ablaze. It felt as if I were being ripped apart from the inside with that chuckle. I couldn't...didn't, understand the sensation I was feeling. "I asked...who are you?" The man, as my sensors had detected, began to chuckle again. Then, it stopped, and I heard what I thought was a sneer.

"Hehehe...foolish little brother..."

* * *

X-B made her way through the hallways and corridors of the third level of the Umbrella Lab. It was strange, she thought. With a laboratory like this, she wondered where everyone was. Even at night, staff were always present, doing experiments or this or that. Guards always patrolled the halls. Why was today any different? Turning, she saw another hallway, one that led to something called "The Experimentation Room". Curious, she began walking cautiously down the hall, standing on her toes to peer in through the small window of the room. Curiosity overtook her, and she opened the door slightly. Walking in, she began looking around. The room was full of doors, all locked, she assumed. A row of ten doors on either side. At the end was a long pole with a metal collar attached to it. She walked over to where it stood, gripping it tightly. A wave of nausea from nowhere hit her like a truck, and she sank to her knees, coughing slightly as bile rose in her throat. Gagging it down, she picked herself up, staring at the grotesque display on the walls and ceiling. Blood had spattered everywhere, leaving the room in a multicolored, crimson-white array. She grimaced slightly as she picked the chain up, staring at the manacle at the end. Soon, she began having flashbacks...flashbacks of her previous time in the Umbrella Lab... 

"_Young woman. You will obey me. You will obey me now!" A man...a horrible, oddly dressed man. He had a whip. She was tied to the stake, her neck manacled and her arms and legs bound. Tears flowed from her eyes as she shook her head._

"NO! I won't do it! You can't make me!" The man roared, whipping her across the back. She remembered...she was naked. The man had taken her clothes, had drenched her with water...with oil...with gasoline. He was whipping her bare, naked flesh with a long, leather band. Every lash made him smile with devious delight. She cried out as her back was shorn once more.

"Why don't you do what I say, hm? I told you before, when you obey, the pain will stop! Now, do what I say! Kill!" She glanced over at a boy. A small child, perhaps five years old. He was also chained to the wall, whimpering slightly. She closed her eyes, crying pitifully.

_  
"NO! NO! STOP!" The whip descended once more. She cried out at the sting of the lash, and her head bowed down. _

"THE PAIN WILL STOP WHEN YOU OBEY ME! KILL HIM NOW!" The whistle of the whip...the screams...the cries of pain...She remembered snapping. The chain broke, her wrists broke through the rope constricting them. She felt herself become free. She stood, surveying around her. The man stood with the whip poised. Free now...she would rip the man apart. She could tear him limb from limb. She strode forward, gripping an arm...gripping a leg. There was a rip, a tear. A curse and a cry of pain. Someone else was crying, and it wasn't her. She laughed insanely as another limb was torn off. Soon, she had completed her grisly task, staring down at the body, ripped apart.

"Very good, girl. You are understanding me perfectly now." A hand on her shoulder, a pat of satisfaction. She heaved slightly, seeing the boy's unblinking eyes, the head rolling slightly around her foot. She had thrown up, sinking to the ground.

"What...what did I do...what happened?" The man smiled, reaching down and picking her up. A robe was placed about her, and she huddled in its warmth.

_  
"You...you are fulfilling your destiny, X-B. Well done. Now...to phase 2!"_

She snapped back to the present suddenly. A look of malice overtook her face, and with a guttural roar, she ripped the post from the ground, flinging it across the room and smashing it into the wall. A tear fell from her cheek as she stood on the spot, heaving in anger and frustration.

"Still the same, old X-B you always were. Temper, temper, temper..." The voice made her turn, staring at a ghost from her past. The man stood in her way, blocking the door to her freedom. "So, I see you returned to me. Very good, X-B. Now, I will show you the cost of your insolence!" The whip appeared in his hand, and he lashed out. However, X-B thrust out with her hand, catching the end of the whip and yanking it from the man's nerveless grip.

"No...not anymore. You're the one who is going to pay for your insolence!" She brought the whip up, coiling it into a circle. "You're going to pay for what you made me do. You're going to pay for the things that you've done!" The man smiled...than began to laugh loudly.

"My dear X-B, you forget yourself! I suppose I should teach you a lesson you won't soon forget." He brought out a remote control, pressing a button. Immediately, the door's around the room opened as one, sliding up into the holes meant for them. Hands began to grope at the ends, and the man smiled. "You see, while you were off disobeying orders, I have been trying out my new technology." An undead monster appeared from the door on his left, and it groped out for his arm. It was almost in reach as the man put his hand out. The monster instantly stopped, standing almost at attention. Another quick flick of the hand turned it around, facing X-B. "You see, my dear. I have been genetically and physically altering myself for the past few years. I've been trying to see what kind of use I could get out of these creatures. Fascinating, aren't they? All they ever think about is food, food, food. So, what better way to manipulate them than with a little circuitry." He held up a hand, showing her the scars that ran lengthwise across it.

"What...what did you do to yourself?" X-B began to step back as more creatures appeared. Not just undead humans, but animals as well. Two canines stepped from the door on her left, growling at her. She watched the man move a pinky, and the canines reacted, sitting down.

"It is all a matter of manipulating the parts of the brain that the T-Virus hasn't already destroyed. It's quite easy when you are working with brain dead fools." Another motion of the hand brought four more out from their doors. Soon, a small army was created, standing between her and her enemy. "Small chips, implanted into my flesh, allows me to communicate directly to these things. One small movement of the hand," and he moved his hand forward, causing each creature to take a step towards the outnumbered girl, "and I can send them towards a single target, or any number of targets. I control them...I control everything!" He brought his hands up, crossing them against his chest and splaying out his fingers. "Now, you learn the true wrath of dealing with me." He brought his hands together, playing them out. The figures clustered around began an assault, throwing themselves mindlessly at the young girl, who stood in a ready stance. "Oh, and please do die soon. You know how I hate to wait!"

* * *

X-A found himself in front of the entrance to the hidden Executive chamber. With a slow smile, he cracked his knuckles, delighting in each pop, crack, and pinch. "Now you bastards pay for what you've done." With a roar, he threw himself through the doors, stopping as he took in the seemingly empty space before him. A large, circular table stood in front of him, with chairs lined up all the way around. A large, swiveling chair stood at the head of the table directly opposite him, and a monitor on the wall was playing several tapes. He saw two, one of whom he knew to be X-C, standing in a lower laboratory. On another part of the screen, he saw a good number of the creatures attacking X-B, with a man behind them. He grimaced as he heard clapping from behind the chair. 

"Well done, X-A. Well done indeed. You know, I never figured you to get this far. But hey, what can I say, I am impressed, yeah?" Slowly, the chair began to turn, and X-A scowled at the figure who sat in it, an impudent smile on his face.

"Are you the President of the Corporation?" The man smiled, than began to laugh.

"Really, X-A. I thought you were smarter than that. No, I am not. If he were here, I am sure that he would enjoy the show that we are about to put on, yeah?" Standing, he thrust his hands into his pockets, with X-A watching all the while.

"Where are they? I have no problem with you...but if you stand in my way, there will be one!" The man continued with his hands in his pockets, smiling up.

"Now now, X-A. You know, ever since I was awoken, I really dreamed of fighting with you. Really, either one of you would have been fine. Oh god, how fitting it would be for me to snuff X-C's life out. One fraility after another. It was a challenge to me, you see. But, now that you're here, I'll start with you, yeah?" He brought his hands out, crunching together something. X-A tensed, and the man smiled as he caught the movement. "Yes, you should be frightened. This is my own little technique that I have devised. You see, I have been given free run of this facility, since this corporation provides me with much needed antidote and...this!" Bringing his hand out, he showed his creation to the stunned boy. A bird, miniature in size, standing within his palm. "I always thought of how great it would be to create living art, yeah?" Suddenly, the bird moved, hopping around on his hand.

"What...what is it? Where did it come from?" X-A took a back-step, trying to solve what the puzzle truly meant. The man in front of him merely smiled.

"It is nothing but clay. However, this is quite special. You see, this clay is filled to the brim with nano-byte technology. Small mini-computers, each as small as a pin. The clay is chock full of it, and, when I create my art, it gives it life, each small nano-byte working in unison with the others, yeah?" The bird hopped to his finger, staring across the room at the boy. "However, it is really quite good for other things as well as being artsy." Shaking off his momentary lag, X-A began blurting out.

"What? What can it be good for? It's nothing but clay! NOTHING!" The man grimaced slightly, hopping on top of the table.

"Nothing but clay, hm? Well then, try this!" Suddenly, the bird took off, flying towards the boy with speed that denied his internal processor any time to react. X-A found himself staring at a bird a few inches from his nose, hovering. "KATSU!" Then, X-A's world turned red and black.

* * *

Next Time: The time for diplomacy and tact is over. The time for brute force and even more brutal tactics arrive! The fight between six juggernauts commences! 


	25. The End of Days

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 25: The End Of Days**

* * *

X-B dodged to the left as a gruesome arm flew through the air, attempting to snag her with its horribly decomposing fingers. Rolling away, X-B came up, cross-cutting another creature as it shambled aimlessly towards her. Behind his army of grotesque, alien creatures, the man laughed. Fits of glee racked his body as he threw another wave of creatures at the girl, bringing up his right hand and moving his middle finger slightly. A canine jumped across, latching onto the girl's hair. With a scream, she flipped the creature over her head, uppercutting it in the jaw and sending it flying into the wall, splattering entrails and fur against the already worn, bloodied paint job. She panted slightly as two more began to stumble and run towards her. She flipped, bringing her feet thudding into their heads as they bent over to bite. One's jaw came off completely, flying across the room. The man dodged slightly to avoid the projectile. Annoyed, he stopped his creatures, bringing them to a halt in front of the girl, who had been cornered.

"You know, X-B. This is getting tiring. Why don't you just give up and face the inevitable. Or, you could become one of my creations, you know. Wouldn't that be wonderful? You could do what I wanted you to. You could become the ultimate fighting machine. Think of it." The girl sneered, grabbing the post off the ground and twirling it above her head.

"Yeah...let's go with that one, shall we? Oh, and while that happens, I'll slowly pull you apart. Slowly..." The man smiled, bringing his hands back up.

"Well well well. I suppose I should have anticipated you to be as dull as this, X-B. Very well. Have it your way..." He began to bring his hands up once more...until X-B staggered slightly, putting a hand to her stomach. He stopped, his face beginning to brighten slightly. "Oh...oh dear, X-B. Are you alright? Do you need to...lie down for a while?" She sneered as she held her pole tighter.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" The man laughed again, putting his hands behind his back.

"Oh X-B. You make this far too easy. You forgot, of course. Your body needs nutrients. All the time it needs nutrients. I'm sure that you haven't eaten for, oh, perhaps two days now. Maybe three? Who can tell. But, your body is beginning to shut down, is it not? Hehehe..." The girl stumbled again, feeling her internal mainframe beginning to jump sporadically.

_This isn't good. I...I can hardly concentrate. My caloric intake is nil, right now. This...this isn't good._ She shook her head, beginning, for the first time, to feel the effects that not eating was having upon her body. The man again smiled.

"Poor X-B. You know, I do feel sorry for you. Here...allow me." He brought his hand up to a panel on his left, pressing a button. A whoosh sounded from below as a deck that had been previously hidden appeared on X-B's left. She turned, her eyes wide. A small boy stood on the deck, chained to the ground. He looked up at her, eyes wide and tearing.

"Who...who are you?" He turned, looking at the monsters around him. Then, he began to wail. The faces of the creatures around the two turned in his direction, but none made a move. They were under the complete and utter control of the man behind them.

"Hehehe...if you need to eat so badly, X-B, than eat. None here will stop you. Eat...eat..." X-B turned to the small boy once again, who sat, tears pouring from his face.

"Why...why am I...I here? Where...where am I?...Someone...some...one...help me!" His cries began to echo around the chamber. X-B was in shock. Did he really think that she would eat the boy? Suddenly, something began to tear at her. She dropped to her knees, clutching her head as her internal processor began to function without her. _What...what is this?_ She groaned, clutching her stomach as a pain ran through her.

"Yes, X-B...you know what you must do. Pretty soon, you won't be able to fight anymore. You won't be able to stand. You won't have the energy. I won't need to attack anymore, as your body will begin to decay in upon itself." She screamed, trying to will away the pain that gripped her. The man smiled again. "Yes, X-B! YES! Do it! Consume him! Allow his body to feed yours! You are no better than these here! Do it! Eat him!" She gazed over at him, her mouth watering. Her feelings, her actions...her body was not her own anymore. She was gripped by hunger. By pain...and lust...for blood!

"Please...please help..." The boy was whimpering now, and all the un-dead eyes were upon him. The creatures were literally foaming at the mouth to unleash the fury they held upon the boy, but held back as they were, they could not. As she stared at the boy herself, X-B began remembering what had been told to her over the course of the years she had been imprisoned at the Umbrella Corp. main building.

"_How do you feel today, X-B?" A scientist in front of her, staring at her. She felt uniquely aware of her body. She was naked, lying prone on a table, multitudes of wires and tubes entering her at various positions. At the moment, the man was taking measurements of levels in her body. What levels? She could only guess._

_  
"I...I feel fine, I suppose." The man smiled, taking her hand._

_  
"Good. That's good, X-B. Now, please do me the favor of squeezing my hand." She did as bidden, squeezing. As she squeezed, the man monitored her levels on the machine. As she squeezed harder, he winced, but continued to monitor her. "Oh...ok, X-B. That's good. Please...please stop now!" She released him, and he shook his hand to relieve the pain. "Well, X-B. That is something." She turned to him, her eyes distant._

_  
"What is, doctor?" He smiled, laying a hand on her stomach and feeling her pulse. It pulsed sporadically, jumping about...then slightly, than pumping fiercely again. _

_  
"Your blood pressure is off the charts, and you are burning energy far faster than normal." Her gaze left him as his hand ran itself to her thigh, checking her pulse in her lower artery. "Hm...yes. It seems to be returning to your heart as fast as it leaves. Interesting." He turned, jotting down some notes on a clipboard._

_  
"What does it mean?" She gazed back at him as he turned, smiling at her._

_  
"Well, it means you will have to eat constantly to keep your caloric intake at a minimal level, at the least. You need to be sure that every couple of hours, you eat a large meal. Every few minutes, it may be worthy for you to eat a snack." She coughed._

_  
"But...but my figure." He laughed, turning to click off the monitors. _

"_X-B, your figure will look like a pencil if you don't eat. Please, for your own sake, eat often. Soon and often." She nodded as he detached the wires and tubes. Sitting up, she shrugged into the robe that hung from a peg. _

"_I will, doctor. Thank you." He smiled again as he helped her cinch the robe up._

"_You will find a small refrigerator in your room. It will be equipped with an exchange system, to keep fresh food always available. Please utilize it. You are very important to this corporation. Can't have you wasting away, can we?" She nodded again._

_  
"Yes...thank you, Doctor Sasori."_

"Do it, X-B! DO IT NOW!" X-B roared, getting up and running to where the boy lay. He gave a scream as she reached down, yanking and pulling. It tore...it ripped away. She laughed maniacally at another snap...another grinding motion. The boy screamed himself hoarse as she continued to work. Soon, it was over, and the boy stood...unchained. With a heavy grunt, the girl turned, smashing through the wall with a fist. The outside lay open to all, and she turned, kneeling and smiling.

"Go...you're free!" The boy sniffed, smiling slightly, and then took off, running across the lawn. The man grimaced, moving a hand. A canine took off, attempting to outrun the boy and kill him before he could escape. Heaving the pole up, she turned, throwing it as hard as possible. It flew, catching the dog below the jaw and pinning it to the ground. It yelped once, struggling, and then lay silent.

"X-B...I am surprised...and disappointed. I was so hopeful that you would become something like...a daughter to me. But...here you are, and here am I." The girl smiled, wrenching the pole that the boy had been chained to out of the ground and menacing his army with it.

"So sorry to disappoint, Dr. Sasori. So sorry indeed." The man smiled, shaking his head.

"No no, X-B. You aren't sorry...NOT YET!" With that, he brought his hands up, sending his creatures to the attack once more. With a roar, she met them halfway, fighting with the strength born of desperation.

* * *

"Foolish little brother. What do you think that you will do here? What do you wish to accomplish?" The man began walking towards me, and I walked backwards slightly. Feeling around for a weapon of any sort, I brandished a knife, once used to cut food or some other object. 

"Who are you...why are you calling me brother?" I couldn't surmise why he was saying that. I had no brother. I had no siblings. I was alone. I was X-C...no, I was Sasuke Uchiha! "Who are you? Why are you saying these things?" The man snickered slightly. Suddenly, he was gone, appearing from behind me.

"I am your brother. Don't you recognize me...bro?" A hand caught me against my ear, and I flew through the air, striking some cabinets and ripping them off the wall. I lay on the ground, trying to catch my breath as the man stood, smiling down at me.

"I told you, I don't have a brother! Now, who the hell are you!?" I got up, bringing my hand up and around to catch him in the stomach. His hand flew down, catching mine. With a small grunt, he lifted me off my feet, sending me flying through the door and out into the hallway.

"Really now? I am so disappointed in you, my brother!" He disappeared once more, and a foot caught my chin, knocking me backwards.

"You're no brother of mine! WHO ARE YOU!" I lashed out, and he caught my arm with ease. His face lowered to mine, and his eyes began to sparkle, teeth flashing out at me.

"Foolish little brother." Whipping me around, he threw me down the hallway, and I rolled to a halting stop as my forward momentum ceased. "You were the reason I did what I did...and you don't even remember me? Tsk tsk tsk..." I looked up, glaring at him. How...how was he so fast? My internal computer wasn't able to register his movements. Even my ocular nerve didn't allow me to read him. "Our parents...our sister...everyone died...because of you!" What was he talking about? I didn't have parents. I had no siblings. I was X-C...I was Sasuke Uchiha.

"You lie!" I ran forward, trying to catch him off guard. He wasn't where he had been, instead ending up behind me.

"This is pointless, little brother." A hand slammed into my back, and I coughed. Another hand caught my shirt, stopping me from moving at the moment. "You need to know what has happened...before you die." I shrugged, my shirt coming off as I stepped away. A foot planted into my backside sent me over onto my face, and I looked up, highly unamused. "Hehehe...foolish little brother." Another kick sent me spinning in another direction. I hit the wall, breathing heavily as I wiped a hand across my chin, feeling the sticky liquid sensation of blood.

* * *

"What the hell are you? What the hell is this!" X-A stared across the expanse of the destroyed room, eying the blond who stood across from him. A smile graced his lips as he withdrew more clay from his pocket. X-A noticed the action. However, his mind was working at only half the normal capacity. The attack the man had just used had destroyed an internal mechanism in his processor. He was having trouble focusing completely. 

"This is my special attack, yeah? It allows me to blow the living crap out of things I don't like. And guess what? I don't like you, yeah?" Another clay creature flew across the room, stopping in front of X-A. The boy thought he saw the creature wink at him slightly. "Katsu!" It expanded, and X-A threw his hands up as it exploded, sending him flying through the window and out onto the terrace. Staring around him in a daze, X-A picked himself up, avoiding a second bird as it flew through the aperture of the window. Looking up, he jumped from the small balcony onto the roof, standing and gazing around him. "Katsu!" A portion of the roof blew apart, sending X-A flying backwards, tumbling onto the ground. The man jumped through the hole, staring at him with that same, sadistic smile plastered on his face as he landed gracefully on his feet.

"You bastard!" Getting up, X-A rushed him, throwing his fists as fast as he could. The man ducked and dodged, catching him with his own attacks and blocks. He gave as good as he received. As X-A brought his hand back to punch, he lashed out, catching it. Locking arms and hands, they glared at each other, their faces literally touching. The man smiled once more.

"You're going to like this X-A, yeah?" He brought his other hand up, ducking down below the boy's punch and kicking out, sending X-A flying away. He shook his head, looking up at the blond man as he smiled at him. With his right hand, he pointed down at X-A's hand. X-A blinked, looking down at the small, clay spider that sat on his hand. "Katsu!" The spider almost smiled up at him as it expanded, then exploded, sending X-A into a fit of rage and pain. "Hahahaha! Here, X-A. Let me give you...a hand, yeah? Hahahaha!" X-A gritted his teeth, standing as he gazed down at the ground, a pool of blood beginning to form from what used to be his hand.

"You...you son-of-a-bitch!" He heaved, his body turning numb. _Blood loss...I can't keep on going this way. I don't know who this asshole thinks he is, but I need to kill him. NOW!_ Running forward, he brought his left hand up behind him. Focusing the insane energy that kept him going, he began to form his attack, the ball bursting to life all of a sudden. The man saw it, his eyes widening as he hopped backwards. X-A felt the move, adjusting his attack accordingly. Jumping into the air, he brought his hand up and around, bringing the attack to the face of the blond. "RASENGAN!" The man seemed to anticipate the action. He moved fluidly, his bangs falling from his face as he ducked underneath. As they both hit the ground, the blond backed away, a look of horror on his face. X-A smiled at him as the man began to rant.

"My...my hair! What the hell did you do to my hair!" His hair had been singed off, almost to the skull. All that was left was the long hair on the side, a smooth looking semi-circle cut from the top. He glared down at the mass of hair on the ground, singed and dead looking, and then back at X-A. "You...you cut off my hair! I...I'll kill you!" X-A smiled, even through the pain that his stump of a hand was sending throughout his body.

"Well then...let's go!" They threw themselves at one another, and in a moment, the roof was a place of chaos and discord, the silence broken by grunts, heaves, and shouts of katsu, followed closely by explosions.

* * *

_I...can't keep this up forever! _X-B gazed around her at the multitude of creatures that surrounded her. Twirling her pole in the air, she smiled at them. Already, she could feel her body beginning to shut down, to lose any resemblance of working at all. Seeing her in her weakened condition, the man laughed. 

"Really, X-B. This fighting is pointless. You know you will lose. Stop being so negative about death. You know, the best time in life is death. Yes, that is correct. Death is what all creatures experience. None escape from it, and none are immune to its effects. It is what separates living things from inanimate objects. The only thing. You should feel honored, really." X-B sighed as her arms began to lag.

"Sorry, doctor Sasori. I'm sorry I've let you down. I'm sorry I wasn't a better test subject." The man stopped, natural interest etched into his features.

"Really, X-B? Have you finally learned some respect? Very well...Now that that is out of the way, we can get on with the next stage of life...DEATH!" He brought his hands up, and his creatures attacked once more.

_I have to get to him. If I can kill him, then I can stop these things. Of course, without his control, they will just want to eat me...but that is just something I will have to deal with. _Jumping into the air, she landed on the head of one creature, twisting suddenly and spinning in a semi-half arc as she jumped behind the main body of creatures, landing behind the crimson haired man. He turned, smiling, as his army did the same. She grinned at him, wielding her pipe. "Now...you die!" She ran forward, roaring out as she brought the pipe back for a final strike. A few feet from him, however, she stumbled, her strength ebbing. The pipe dropped from her hands as she staggered. Within a moment, she was set upon by the creatures, pinned to the ground. A canine jumped in, ripping at her arm. She screamed in pain as it gnawed down to the bone, sending a flurry of nerve impulses rippling through her.

"NO! ENOUGH!" The creatures stopped their frantic attack, dropping her to the ground. She panted, holding a hand to her wound as the man walked to her, laughing down at her face as she groaned. "I will deal with you personally! Goodbye, X-B!" He picked the pipe up, twirling it before he placed it against her head. "I hope that you have a good time in hell! Tell your maker that your comrades will be joining you soon enough!" He brought the pipe up, and she closed her eyes, waiting for the attack. _I'm sorry, X-A...I've failed...

* * *

_

The man had cornered me in an elevator shaft. As he thrust out at me, I tried my best to block his attacks, but he was far too fast for me to block. Each attack was punctuated by a laugh...or his cruel words.

"Yes...mother and father. They screamed so well when I slit them. Father always did want me to become something better than I had been. Well...I showed him just how good I could become!" His foot connected with my stomach, and I bowed, trying to catch my breath. A hand grabbed my hair, and my head was thrust against the elevator side. "You...you and that little bitch! You had to be gone, didn't you? Well, I thought about it, brother. I thought long and hard about it in the moments after I slaughtered our family. I would wait to see who you would become. I waited to see if you would be strong. But, I was wrong! You are so very weak. You are so...foolish!" The door opened, revealing another hallway, and he grabbed my arm, thrusting me through the portal. I rolled across the ground, lying down and breathing heavily. My internal sensors were going haywire, and I couldn't focus. My ocular nerve was beginning to fail. I could feel it.

"How...how are you so fast?" He smiled, almost laughing.

"Foolish little brother. Do you think that the T-Virus would only work upon someone as weak as you? No. Umbrella Corp. found me. They enhanced me physically with the T-Virus. They made me so much...stronger! They made me into a machine of destruction!" He walked from the elevator, staring down at me. His smile still adorned his face, and I grimaced at him.

"You. My ocular nerve should pick your movements up. Why...why doesn't it?" He laughed again, highly amused. Then, he gazed at me. His normally coal black eyes began to morph...to change. Horrible. "What? Your...your eyes! What is wrong with your eyes?" He laughed again, his head cocked to the side slightly.

"My eyes are the same as yours. However...mine are much higher up on the food chain. Not only can I read your movements, but I can manipulate the way you see your world."

"My...my world? But...but how? How is that even possible!?" He smiled once more, than appeared suddenly in front of me.

"Because, the T-Virus has opened abilities to me that I had never known to exist. For example..." His horrible, red eyes gazed into mine, and I gasped once, feeling myself shrink...down, down, down into that horrible gaze. I looked about, trying to decide where I was.

"What the hell is this? Where...where am I!" He appeared in front of me, this man with the red eyes. He looked about him as he smiled back at me.

"This...this is my world. This is the world that I can manipulate myself. I control time and space here. I control...your destiny!" A foot caught me below the eye, and I thudded away. Blinded slightly, I looked up, seeing two of the man in front of me. "Sasuke, you really are so very foolish!" I shook my head.

"This...this isn't real. This...this can't be real!" His image expanded. Where two were was now a horrible army. Hundreds of them. They talked as one as well.

"Sasuke, you were always weak. You should see how our parents were killed. Perhaps it will help your spine straighten...or perhaps it will send you into a state of dumbed silence. Either way, it will be amusing." His copies faded, leaving a house standing in front of me. I looked around. The place. The area was highly foreign, but somehow very familiar to me. I gazed about, studying everything. A cry from inside made me gasp, and I ran inside the domicile, glancing about. Another cry from upstairs sent me running up, and I stopped in the hallway as the man exited a room on my left, holding a small girl.

"Brother...what are you doing? Why?" He smiled, a large knife in his hand. As two older people came from a room down the hall, he slit the girl's throat, letting her body drop to the ground. The man at the end of the hallway yelled something, running down the hall. The knife flashed out, catching him in the chest and sending him crumpling to the ground. He gurgled once before he lay silent. The woman was weeping as the man walked to her, grabbing her wrist and striking her on the face. He brought her over to the other two bodies, kicking her into a kneeling position. Then, he smiled, bringing the knife up and placing it to her throat. Looking up, he smiled at me, as if...as if he could see me. He couldn't...right? This was just a vision...a hallucination.

"Say goodbye to mommy, Sasuke!" I gazed down at the woman, who looked up pleadingly at me. I reached out, trying to take her hand, to stop him.

"Mo...mother?" Then, the knife slipped across her neck, and as her lifeblood spilled to the ground, she swayed, and then toppled to the ground. The blood pooled on the carpet, leaving a large, black stain. A tear fell from my eye, and I knelt on the ground in front of them. I didn't know them...why was I so emotional from this? I had no ties with them. But somehow...they were family?

"Don't you see, Sasuke? This was your fault. If you hadn't been out with that little bitch of yours, you would've been here to save them. It is all...your...fault!"

"NOOOOOO!!!" The vision began to subside, and I was left on the floor of the hallway once more, shaking like a leaf. Suddenly, a lighter appeared in the man's hands, and he struck it. The flame jumped up, flickering slightly. I gasped. It...it was a flame. Just...a flame. Fire. Nothing more than that. I had seen it countless times. I had seen it more often than I cared to recall. But...in this man's hands...it was alive! It was feeling. It breathed. It moved. It...was horrible! I struggled to a sitting position, backing away from him as he moved forward, swishing the flame in front of him.

"What? This? This fire? Are you afraid of this?" He walked forward more, and some internal process made me...afraid? This was fear? This was being afraid of something irrational? My processor, even with its sluggishness, pulled up schematics. Phobia. An irrational fear of something. Fire was a phobia. My phobia. Why was I so afraid of fire? Why was I afraid of fire now when I hadn't been for so long?

"What are you doing? Explain!" I continued to back away as a smile lit his features.

"Yes. They burn so easily. Bodies, you know. Nothing left. Nothing but charred ashes and some bones. So easy to wipe away memories...and traces." His foot lashed out, and I was knocked backwards again. As I lay on the floor, his foot pressed my head into the cold tiles, grinding it down. "When I am done with you, little brother. When I am done...nothing will be left but ashes, bone...and hate!"

* * *

"Hahahah!" The blond man laughed maniacally as blood poured from the wounds his bombs had inflicted. X-A flinched as his muscles continued to work on nothing. Though his hand was missing, the sensors in his neural processor still attempted to work against his will. Both combatants were thoroughly covered in blood from the multiple wounds they had been dealt, though all of them paled in comparison to the single wound that X-A bore. 

"You son-of-a-bitch!" This seemed to amuse him even more. His hand began to mold more clay as he gazed at his pouch.

"You know, X-A. This has been fun and all, but I am afraid that I have to be getting back to business, yeah? I hope you don't mind if I destroy you now. It's been...a blast!" He brought his hand up, a small bird again lying there. With a motion, it flew across the expanse, preparing to destroy the boy in its flight path. X-A glared at the creature flying in, then began running towards it. The man laughed again as he watched the two about to collide.

"Hehehehe...X-A. You fool! You stupid fool, yeah! You're going to die!" As the two centered on each other, the man shouted out. "KATSU!" The small clay bird exploded brilliantly, leaving behind a large dust and particle cloud. The man smiled once more. "Another one bites the dust, yeah?" He turned, walking back to the hole to enter the building once more, until a yell behind him made him turn.

"Rasengan!" His eyes widened as a hand slammed into his chest, ripping a hole into it as X-A threw his weight into his ultimate attack. The man continued to smile as he staggered backwards, gazing at X-A, who was heaving. His right arm was completely missing now, having been used to block the last airborne bomb. Blood was flowing heavily from the wound, and X-A wobbled slightly. The man coughed, feeling his own wound like a curse.

"You...you sacrificed your own arm to...to hit me...with that?" He smiled again, coughing up blood as his lung collapsed. "Very good, X-A, yeah? Very...very good indeed." He staggered forward, reaching in his pocket for more clay. Suddenly, his eyes widened as his hand groped for what was not there. "What...what the hell?" He glanced down, noticing that his pocket was empty.

"Looking...for this?" X-A held the balk of the clay up in his left hand, leveling it so the man could see it fully. Suddenly, his hand began to glow. "Rasengan!" The ball of energy encompassed the clay, filling it with energy as the nano-byte computers began to filter in the excess power. They began to be reprogrammed, the energy of X-A overriding their circuits. With a heave and a gurgle, X-A ran full tilt forward, thrusting out his hand. The man had no where to go, such was the speed at which X-A used in his desperation. X-A's hand entered his body, thrusting the clay into it. He stared down at himself, coughing even more blood up as he glared at the gaping wound. Pulling his hand out of the wound, X-A capitalized on his success, bulling the man and himself backwards and down through the hole in the roof. Together, they landed in the executive suite, panting for air and glaring at one another.

"You...you little..." However, it was X-A's turn to smile. He crawled to the man's body, grabbing onto his cloak and pulling himself up to his face. He smiled down at him, grinning maliciously. Leaning over, he went to the man's ear, whispering slightly.

"This...is for my freedom, and the freedom of my comrades!" Then, he collapsed completely, laying on the man's chest. His eye's shut tight, and he smiled one last time. "KATSU!" The man's body began to expand, and he shrieked in pain as he swelled. With his last remaining energy, X-A had infused his own power into the clay, giving himself the power over it. With his last remaining energy, X-A gave new hope to a world in which tyrants conquered all, ruling with an iron fist of oppression.

"NOOOOOO!!!!!" The man gave out one last, pityful shriek. Then, the world turned white...as the heavens themselves seemed to crumble inward. The force of the blast rocketed through the empty hallways, reducing stone and brick to dust, leveling iron and grate, and forcing glass from the windows. Such was the magnitude of the blast that it completely annihilated the upper floors, causing them to disintegrate in upon themselves. This began a chain effect, as the main structural integrity of the building became compromised. The structure became a time bomb...a time bomb that was set to destroy itself.

* * *

"Time to die, X-B!" The red haired man smiled, his twisted grin almost reaching both ears as the pipe descended. Suddenly, the building rumbled, and he stopped as pieces of the ceiling began to rain down. "What...what the hell was that! Deidara!" He glared up at the ceiling, noting his partner having made something explode. 

_Now! _X-B, using the last bit of energy she had, reached up, grabbing the man's hands with her own. He glanced down, noticing the look of insanity that had etched itself onto her face. "Have fun in hell, Dr. Sasori!" With that, she crushed down, feeling the man's bones crumble beneath her fingers. Then, she let go, listening to his agonized screams as her eyes closed and she sank back to the ground. Her internal processors began running more information in front of her field of vision.

Heart function shutting down. Internal processes shutting down. Nutrient deficiency critical. Shut down initiated.

X-B smiled to herself as she heard the man stop his screams. "Wait...no! Don't come any closer! I am your master! I...I am your leader! Stop! No! No! NOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Then...nothing but the sound of gnashing teeth, moans...and death.

* * *

"Now, little brother. You die!" The man in front of me took a sword from his back, raising it above his head, ready to pierce me through. The roof shook, then the building itself, and he staggered, knocked off balance. With a roar, I hopped from the floor, rushing forward and crashing into the man's stomach. He grunted, his sword leaving his hands and clattering to the floor. Together, we staggered, and with a scream, the man fell from the shaft of the elevator, the machine having been blown from its rope and flying down the shaft. His hand shot out, clinging to the lip of the elevator shaft. 

"Little brother! Help...help me! Help Itachi! Help your big brother! Help...your family! Help!" That name...something was familiar about it. Something...something I recognized. Why did I recognize that name? Rushing forward, I leaned down, grabbing his hand before he fell.

"Wait! I'll...I'll pull you up!" My strength was failing. If I was to pull him up, it would have to be now. He smiled up at me, panting slightly.

"Thank you, my brother! Thank you...thank you..." Then, he snickered. A knife appeared in his other hand, and I felt his grip on me tighten. "Foolish little brother! I'll see you in hell!" His knife flew forward, in perfect line with my skull. Another tremor shook the building, and his grip loosened. The knife fell from his grasp, and he fell from mine. He plummeted downward, screaming. I watched him fall, my ocular nerve picking him up until he had fallen too far for me to see. Hearing something from above, I dodged backwards as another elevator came rumbling down, screeching on its downward path. I waited for a moment, then the blast from below sounded in the shaft. A plume of fire sprang up like a stream from hell, followed by a large pillar of smoke. I stood, brushing myself off. For some reason, I felt relieved. Not only relieved...

I felt justified...

I turned, walking down the hallway. I halted, turning back to the shaft. "You first...brother. You first." With that, I turned back to my job at hand. The glint of metal caught my eye, and I stared down at the blade lying on the ground. Kneeling, I picked it up, feeling its weight. It felt wonderful to the grip, and I swung it around experimentally. It worked just right. I smiled, slipping the blade into my now unused sheath on my back before using the stairs to head back down to the main laboratories. I had to find the self-destruct disks before they were used to shut down myself and my comrades.

I had no idea that I would never see them again. Nor did I have an idea about what I had coming...in the future.

* * *

Next Time: Sasuke learns more about his own past. He learns the reason his name was switched, learns of his brother, and learns of another human emotion...Love. 


	26. Truth be Told

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 26: Truth Be Told**

* * *

I took the steps twice at a time, making each breath, each movement, count towards my goal. I had to find those disks. Without them, I was still vulnerable. I hated to think that I was ever vulnerable. I wished myself invincible, but the pain from the fight with my...brother? Was that my brother? Who was that? Seriously, to myself, he was nothing more than a flea. A pest to be thrown from my sight. But...he was so adamant about calling me brother. What...what was he?

I stopped at the bottom of the stairwell. Looking around, I noted the door to the specimen lab. Though, having already been in there, I knew nothing would actually help me. However, that man. What was his name again? My sensors began reading once more. Flashes of words and phrases in front of me. Nara. Shikamaru Nara. That was his name. He seemed to know something. I had to find what it was he knew. What did he know? It ate me from my inside, gnawing on my flesh until I was sure I would burst from the curiosity of the unknown. I grabbed the handle of the door, opening it and looking about. It was barren, all except for the sounds of the imprisoned test subjects. I could hear the strain of their howls, the way they gnashed their teeth and slashed at the bars. They hadn't been fed, though I was sure that an adequate amount of usable...food, was around somewhere. I walked into the fetid atmosphere, staring about me. Another door on my left caught my attention, and my heat sensors immediately picked up a signature from behind it. I walked to it, grasping the handle and pulling it open forcefully. Inside the small, dark room were four scientists. Each wore the white lab coats that they were famous for, and of course, standing in front of them, was the man I needed to talk to.

"X-C? X-C, is that you? Oh...thank god! Are...are you here to save us?" I didn't answer, instead walking forward and grasping him by the throat. The other three, two women and another man whom I couldn't identify, gasped in horror as I lifted him above my head.

"You three...leave!" They nodded, turning tail and running by me out the door and out of the laboratory. The man, Shikamaru, hung grimly in the air, his feet kicking slightly. His murmurings of unrest were immediately muffled by my hand on his throat, and I pulled him in close. Had fire been able to come from my eyes, I am sure that the man's face would have been incinerated. "Doctor. You will tell me what I want to know. You will tell me, or I will make you suffer a horrible fate. Do you understand me?" He gurgled, but a slight nod was detected, so I dropped him unceremoniously to the floor. He coughed, trying to will his lungs and larynx to work once more. He eyed me, gazing up from my feet.

"What...what do you...want to know?" I smiled, grabbing his coat and hauling him to his feet. Grabbing his arm, I brought him close to my face, staring into his eyes.

"Tell me...who I am." He blinked rapidly several times, as if processing the answer to my query. I didn't know what was going on in his head, but I knew that I may have to pry my answers from him sooner than later.

"You are X-C. You are a pet project of Umbrella Corp. You are..."

"NO!" I slammed him into the wall, shattering the glasses he wore. My ocular nerve allowed me to sense the fact that the glasses were just for show, not being thick enough for anything. He cringed, but didn't waver from his position. "Tell me who I am!" He sighed.

"This is so troublesome..." Sighing once more, he stood, walking past me. I was about to stop him, but I detected nothing in him that said he would flee. I followed him to the main room, standing near a computer screen as he brought up something. Standing back, he gestured to it. "Here...is this what you wanted?" I waited for him to back up a little more before walking to the computer, digesting the information that was held upon the screen.

Subject X-C. Name: Sasuke Uchiha. Status: Living. Interference with the Genesis Project at a all time high. Funding insufficient at current time. Project X-C to be scrapped. Termination of all projects co-existing under sub-name Genesis Project. Noted worthy aspects: Enhanced abilities of subjects. Suitable time frame for destruction of projects, code-named Genesis Project: One Week.

I glanced at the information speedily. Much of what I saw was irrelevant, but my internal processor picked what was needed, saving it in my inner core for future processing. "I am...Sasuke Uchiha? That is...my name?" The man next to me sighed.

"Yes yes. That is your real, god-given name. Sasuke Uchiha. Though, I preferred Naruto Uzumaki much more." I glanced over at him.

"Why was I named that? What were the real names of X-A and X-B?" He sighed once more, turning around.

"X-A was originally Naruto Uzumaki, X-B being Sakura Haruno. Of course, being such, we didn't want internal memory corruption. We thought that, under the circumstances, knowing your real name would be a hassle. To many problems and questions would arise for you. Therefore, we gave you and X-A different names. It was reasonable, was it not? To complete the ensemble, we allowed X-B to keep her own name in the outside world. Thus, no one would know that you were Sasuke Uchiha or that X-A was Naruto Uzumaki." I glared at his back for a moment.

"So...you mean to say that I am Sasuke Uchiha? Then...then the person I just fought...was my brother?" I stared at the computer screen as he turned back to me, smiling.

"Ah...yes yes. It is so. If the person you fought was similar to you, than indeed. Itachi was a blessing for this facility. Much more advanced was his transformation with the virus. His was a much higher rate of ability than yours could ever hope to be. Did...did you kill him?" I took a breath, and then another. It really had been my brother...my...only brother.

"Yes. Yes I killed him. Did...did my brother really kill...my family?" Shikamaru laughed slightly.

"Yes, I am afraid he did. Actually, we found him wandering the streets about a week after the massacre was recorded by the newspapers. Of course, we didn't actually tell him he was being recruited for genetic testing. We told him that we could help calm the cravings for destruction that were going through his body. Yes, in fact, we thought we were doing mankind a favor, really. Getting another criminal off the streets. It was a mercy for the human race. Compassion, almost. Helping out our fellow man." He turned to the door, taking a step. Then, he stopped, and I could almost feel his smile. "You know, X-C. It was almost possible for us to take what we knew from your brother and place that same genetics interference into you. You could have been as powerful as he. But, I suppose that we will never know that now, hm?" He began walking to the door. His hand was on the handle as my own grasped his jacket. He grunted in surprise as I turned him around, a grimace on my face.

"He was scum...and he is where scum should go." I frog-marched him resolutely into the back of the room. Taking my sword out, I swiftly broke the lock on one of the cages, and his horrified face turned to mine.

"What...what the hell are you doing?" I smiled, opening the door slightly.

"What does it look like...I'm feeding the animals." With that, I tossed him in, bending the metal after him so as to lock the door in place. As I turned to leave, I heard the moans and cries from a motley assortment of beasts, all eager to participate in their newest orgy of feeding. I closed the door to the room, the screams echoing around me, shut off by the partition of reality.

* * *

"I suppose...I suppose I should evacuate with everyone else." Hinata Hyuuga turned to her computer, taking out her key codes and beginning to punch them in. The first set would erase the computers hard drive and memory. The second would begin the shut down of the processing room and the lower floors. The third set of codes would begin the shut down of the entire building. The fourth set... 

A message blinked at her from the computer. She stared at it, seeing the warning message clearly. To press enter would erase all information. To press enter would wipe out any data collected over three years of research. "It...it is my duty to see that none of this is let out into the world! None should ever see this information." Her hand began to descend onto the keyboard...as my own stopped it. She gasped, looking up into my eyes as I pushed her away.

"Don't do that. I need that for a while." I stalked towards her, taking out my sword. She began backing up, pushing away from me. "The self-destruct disks, Ms. Hyuuga. Give them to me." She began trying to say something, stuttering horribly.

"But...bu...but...but I...I...I don't...do...don't have them..." I growled, grabbing her off the floor and slamming her into the wall.

"Don't play games with me! I will kill you where you stand! Now! The disks!" She gazed into my eyes with fear, than pointed to the computer.

"I...I don't have yours...I don't know...know where it is...Orochimaru..." I couldn't take it anymore. The way she stuttered...the way that she tried to take my attention away. It annoyed me more and more, until the rage that I felt boiled inside of me. I threw her from me, hearing her land on the ground as I walked to the computer, overriding her codes. For some reason, I knew the computer security codes by heart. I thought it strange to be thus, but I was amazed at the rate my fingers typed in the codes. I overrode one, than another, and yet another. My fingers typed almost as fast as the computer processed the information.

"X-C! Please...please stop!"

"Hn!" I flew even faster in my work, attempting to locate the source for the disks.

"X-C! Why...why are you...you doing this?" She was still attempting to thwart me, to evade me. I turned, snarling.

"You made me into a monster! You made me into something I had no reason or want to become! Look at me! I'm a freak! A beast of science! Damn you all!" I turned back to the computer, still typing. "You and all your sick, twisted lies. Your damn experiments. You made me into this! You did!" I could hear her sobbing behind me. I could hear her tears splatter onto the cold tile.

"No...no...you're...you're wrong...wrong...X-C..." I turned to her again, my eyes cold and unfeeling.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. Never call me X-C again!" She groaned, then went to her knees, her hands working feebly by themselves. I snorted, looking back at the computer. "You damn humans...all of you are alike. No backbone. Nothing. You don't fight for anything! I will take what I want. I will take it because I am superior..." I continued typing, trying to get the computer to reveal to me the locations of the disks.

"X-C...I...I..."

"Sasuke!" I continued typing until I found what I was looking for. "Yes...here we go. Finally." I read down the page, taking in all the information I could.

Self-destruct disks. Locations known to be with head of department, one Orochimaru. Subject X-A and X-B. Self-destruct disks to be used as back-up procedure when dealing with hostile experiment behavior. Can be used to shut down main core processor through cybernetic host interlink of the cerebral cortex. Shuts down all main processes incurred through daily function of life and sustainability of main body function. Failure of disks minimal.

This information was good, but...oh wait!

Self-destruct disks contained for X-A and X-B destroyed by Orochimaru through better judgment. Fear that rival companies could use against Umbrella was overlying factor...

So...this Orochimaru person destroyed the self-destructs for X-A and X-B...but...

Self-destruct disk contained for X-C. Never recovered when lost two years ago. Origin unknown. Continued searching for disk high priority. Never found as to date.

Wait...my disk was never found? But, how could such a company have lost such a disk? Wouldn't security be placed around it to prevent its loss? Than who...

"You! Hyuuga! Where is my self-destruct disk?" I turned, grabbing her off the floor and shaking her like a doll. She didn't fuss, nor did she make a sound. She simply allowed me to shake her. "Where is it? I must know!" She mumbled something incoherent, and I stopped. "What?"

"I...I...destroyed it...long ago..." I blinked, dropping her to the floor. She sat there, holding her hands in front of her chest, as if willing herself to become stronger. I myself took a step back. Destroyed it? Why would she do something so foolish?

"Why would you do something like that, Ms. Hyuuga?" She sniffed...then smiled slightly, looking up at me.

"Don't...don't you remember...Sasuke?" I blinked again...but nothing but uncertainty did I have.

"I don't remember anything. Why did you destroy it? What motives did you have?" She smiled once again, looking down at the ground.

"When we were four years younger...when your brother killed everyone. I...I didn't know what to do. You were...were so heartbroken. You were...were so lonely and afraid. My family took you in...raised you...cared for you. But one day, I found you. You were in the bathroom, and...a bottle lay next to you. They were pain killers, Sasuke. You turned to me...you asked me...if you took enough of the pain-killers...would the pain go away? The bottle was empty, Sasuke...empty, do you understand?" I nodded dumbly. "You...you passed out not a moment later. So, we took you into the hospital. No one cared about you there. You were just another person...another sick person in need of medical help. When everyone else left, I was there. I sat by your bed...I watched you. That night, when you woke up...you...your face. Your eyes! You...you weren't...you..." She sniffed again. This time, she took a hand to wipe her eyes. "You weren't like you were before. I didn't know what to do. So, when I took my job here, I accidentally let it slip about what I saw. Orochimaru...he...he told me to bring you in for tests. He said that if we could find a way to harness what I had seen...it would be for the best. I couldn't...I wouldn't. But...he said...he said that the tests would remove your memories. They would remove everything that made you hurt inside."

"So..." I stared down at her, feeling my legs weaken.

"So...I did as I was asked. I brought you in. I...I had no idea what they were going to do with you. They...well...you already know. I'm so sorry, Sasuke...I'm so sorry..." I stared at her as she began to cry. Her body was wracked in convulsions. Her ample frame looked meek and forlorn.

"The funding. Where did Umbrella obtain the funding to keep the Genesis Project? Everything I have read up until right now has said that the Genesis Project would be scrapped without additional funds. What...what happened?" She sniffed once more.

"Orochimaru told me about the cuts about two months ago. He...he said that the whole project would be scrapped. He said...he said that all three of you would be scrapped along with it. I...I didn't want to think about that..."

"But...then, how did you manage to secure the funding?" She sniffed once again, then delved into her pocket, removing a small vial.

"This...this vial. It contained the T-Virus. I...I..." She began to break down again, ending her statement. However, I already knew the answer.

"You introduced the T-Virus into the city? To cause...this?" I couldn't believe someone from Umbrella's own ranks would do something so...heinous.

"I didn't know what else to do. Orochimaru gave me the vial about two weeks ago. He told me...he told me that I would know what to do about the cuts. I...I wasn't thinking about it. I just...I just did it! I'm sorry!" She began to cry once more. What a pitiful emotion, sadness. What a useless thing to cry. It gives one nothing, and gives no one any help.

"With the T-Virus in the general public, Umbrella would want everything to be covered up. So, they added funds to the Genesis Project, to send the three of us into the mess and sort it out. Is that the gist of it?" She nodded dumbly, still hiccuping slightly through her tears. "So...you did what you did. Why? Did you think it would solve everything? Did you think I would thank you? Why did you do it?"

"I...I did it...I did it...because...because..." Tears poured unchecked, and she halted.

"Why! Why did you! Why did you do something so horrible!?" Her head shot up, and through her tears, through her unrequited grief...through her agony and pain, she said those words that shot through me like an arrow.

"Because I love you, Sasuke Uchiha!" She got up, rushing to me and throwing herself into my body. She wrapped her arms around me, using me to steady herself. Her body continued to jolt about in her anguish. "I did it because I loved you! I didn't want you to hurt anymore! I took this job to be near you! I destroyed the disk so that no one could hurt you ever again!" She continued to sob, and inside...something seemed to loosen. Something that I hadn't felt before...something...human. Was this...affection for another? "I needed you more than anyone has ever needed anything! You were the only reason I stayed on at this vile place! I...I love you!"

I could only comprehend what was running through her mind at the moment. She...loved me? But...I couldn't remember anything. How...But then, something inside told me that, indeed, she loved me, and that somehow, I returned those feelings. I tried to shake it off, to bring myself to extract my body from hers. Yet somehow, it seemed right, this joining of our two bodies together like this. Somehow, it was as if my body rejoiced in it. I slipped my hand around her, hugging her tightly to me. She squeaked softly...but didn't let go. There we were, wrapped together.

"Sasuke...I need you..." Her words cut me to the quick. I was needed. I wasn't being used as a puppet anymore...I wasn't being used. Was I? "Sasuke...I need you...as much as you needed me..." She continued to hug me.

Together, we stood in the forgotten lab in the sub-basement levels of Umbrella, embracing one another while the lights flickered and the world spun into chaos and discord.

* * *

Next Time: Someone watches this scene from the darkness. What are their intentions? Also, Sasuke makes a difficult decision. Will it be good? Or not? 


	27. A New Life?

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 27: A New Life?**

* * *

I don't know how long Hinata and I were joined, standing there in the laboratory as the world spun into chaos around us. However, at some crucial point, I released her, staring down at her as she gazed up at me.

"Sasuke...I..." I shook my head, stopping her train of thought.

"Don't speak just yet...let me just drink this in..." However, my heat sensor began reading faint signatures from behind me, and I spun, keeping Ms. Hyuuga behind me. In the shadows was a man, grayed from plain view by the light. "Who are you? What do you want?" He smiled, his teeth gleaming in the low light of the laboratory.

"Ah...my dear X-C. Welcome back." Then, he stepped out. It was that Orochimaru person...the one who was the leader of the entire Genesis Project. I brought my hand to my sword hilt, prepared to kill him if need be.

"Leave me alone. I have no need of you anymore." He smiled once again, clucking his teeth as he shook his head.

"No no no, X-C. I am afraid that you are quite mistaken. You see, you do need me again. In the worst way possible, in fact." I cocked my head slightly. What did he mean?

"What are you saying? I am...was...X-C. I am much better than you. I don't need you at all!" He shook his head once more.

"Come now, X-C..."

"No! Don't call me that anymore! I am Sasuke Uchiha!" He seemed pleased with this answer.

"Oh...so, Sasuke then, is it? Very good. You seem to have found out the truth. Finally, it took you a while." I grinned.

"Yeah, well. It doesn't help when everyone is lying to you. Now, what the hell do you want?" He again smiled, walking over to the computer.

"I want to offer you a position, in fact." A...position? What kind of position?

"What do you mean, position?" He didn't look up, still typing away at the computer.

"At this moment, I am concocting my own lab. I have been secretly stealing money from Umbrella Corp., and using it to fund my projects. I want you to help me. Together, we can achieve so much more than anyone has ever contemplated." He turned back to me, walking a distance away from the computer. "Here, see what I mean." I drew my sword, menacing him away with it. He put his hands up, walking some distance from everything, and I walked to the computer, glancing over at it. It was a statement. A bank statement. An offshore account, registered to a nameless person. It had more money than many humans would have seen in a lifetime. Much more than any group of people would ever even dream of. "Come with me, Sasuke. Together, we will find great things! You...you will be the son I have never had." I smiled, looking up at him.

"No." He seemed taken aback, but sighed, turning and putting his hands up.

"Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke. I thought you would know better than to turn down a great offer like this. This only happens once in a lifetime, you know." I smiled once more, going to stand beside Hinata once again. She placed an arm about me, and I held her close.

"I said no! You aren't going to use me like you once did, Orochimaru!" He sighed again, this time with more theatrics than the last.

"You know, Sasuke. It was little Hinata there that brought you in. It was she who made you who you are." I glanced down, and her tearful gaze locked onto mine.

"I...I know that already. My answer to you is still no!" He turned back towards us, his hands clasped.

"It was Hinata there that unleashed the virus onto the city. Do you know that?" I gulped, then nodded.

"Yes, I do."

"And knowing all this, you would still turn down my offer, for her?" I nodded again. He shook his head, another sigh issuing from his mouth. "Oh, poor little Sasuke. Very well, I cannot force you to join me." Turning, he began to walk towards the back wall. Suddenly, he stopped, turning half-way back. "You know, Sasuke. I could...possibly...resurrect your parents." I stopped, staring at him as he shrugged. "But then again, I would need your own DNA to do it. Pity. Oh well." He began walking again as I put my hand up.

"Wait...you can...bring my parents back?" I hadn't known my parents. If I had, I didn't remember them. Something in me...twinged. I needed...I had to know. If they could be brought back...

"Why, yes I can. But like I said, I would need your DNA, and you would have to come with me for that. But, you have turned that down. So, as I said before, farewell." He continued his walking. Something in me seemed to snap, and I took a step forward.

"What are the conditions of my joining you?" The woman beside me gasped. She turned to me.

"Sasuke...n...n...no! Don't do it! He...he's an evil man!" I grunted.

"What are the conditions?" I repeated. He turned, his smile still on his lips.

"The conditions? Well, they are simple really. You will be my partner. Together, we will rule this world! In fact, I have a team already made up of the best that money could afford to manipulate. They will be yours to rule. This world will be ours to dominate!" I took a moment to register that. The...the world? My own personalized team?

"Will anyone die?" He shrugged.

"Who cares? This is science we are talking about. Remember, in science, there is a certain amount of give and take. Those who take are the ones who rule those that give." I nodded. It made sense.

"Sasuke...please, don't...don't do this!" The woman at my side was begging...pleading with me. Her arms grasped my shirt, yanking slightly. I looked down at her, then smiled, grabbing her arms and leaning in.

"Hinata...come with us. Please? You...you can have a better life than this." She gazed up, frightened now. Releasing herself from me, she backed up a ways, looking at me, than at the man before us, than at me again.

"I...I can't. I...I..." I smiled, taking a step closer to her.

"Hinata, you know that this life, this life of servitude, doesn't fit you. Think of it? We could rule this world. Together, you and I..." I heard a small exclamation behind me, and I sighed. "Alright...you, I, and him. We could, all three, rule this world...make it how we want it. No more killing, no more wars. Think of it!" She groped for an answer to her problem, placing her hands together.

"I...I..." Orochimaru huffed, turning back to the wall.

"If you want to come, now is your chance, Sasuke." I glanced at him, and then back at Hinata. Sighing, I turned towards the wall.

"Very well. Goodbye, Hinata." I took a step forward, then felt hands grab me, turning me around. She began frantically shaking me, willing me to stay.

"Sasuke...don't...don't do this! Please! Stay...stay here! Stay with me!" I blinked several times, then smiled.

"Hinata...I...I want more then this." She gasped, then buried her head in my chest.

"But...but I need you!" I cradled her head for a moment, then released her, staring down at her large, pearl-colored eyes.

"But...he is offering something I can't pass up. I want it, Hinata. I want...power!" She shook her head.

"No! No you don't! You need me, Sasuke! Please! Stay! You...you need me!" She hugged me again, her tears staining the front of my shirt. I stopped dead, gazing at the wall.

"What...what did you say?" She looked up, smiling slightly.

"You need me...Sasuke. You...you need me!" She buried her head again. I sighed.

"I...I am Sasuke Uchiha..." She gasped, sudden and quick, as the blade entered her back, probing directly between her ribs and slicing her heart in two. She stared up at me, guilt and sorrow plainly etched in her face. I narrowed my eyes, looking down at her. "I am Sasuke Uchiha...and I need no one!" She gave one last gurgle, than fell heavily to the floor, her eyes wide open. She coughed, perhaps trying to say something, as I sheathed my sword once more. Orochimaru still stood, eying me.

"We should go, Sasuke." I nodded, turning. I walked to him, and he pressed a button on the wall that was hidden from view for the most part. A door slid open, revealing a small service elevator. It probably led to the surface. He walked in, giving me his hand to enter as well. I turned slightly to see the Hyuuga still on the ground, not moving. Turning back to the matter at hand, I bypassed his outstretched hand, walking to the back of the small elevator and leaning against it. Shrugging, he hit another button, closing the door. I felt the elevator rise up, and as it entered solid ground, I glanced around. Behind us, the Umbrella Lab was in complete ruins. Smoke billowed from the roof, and some of the lower floors were ablaze. I gazed at it uninterested until a sound from behind me made me turn.

"Welcome to your new life, Sasuke Uchiha." Orochimaru smiled wide as he threw the door open to a long, stretch limousine. Four people exited, kneeling on the ground in front of me. "This is your new team. Say hello everyone!" They began talking, each going after the last.

"Jirobo. Elite guard and heavy lifter, at your service."

"Sakon. My brother, Ukon, is dead now. I ate his corpse. Strong of will and prepared to die."

"Kidomaru. Two extra arms for twice the punishment. Prepared to kill everyone you want."

"Tayuya. I have to keep these god damn idiots in line...after you of course." I glanced at them all, taking in each of their traits. Jirobo, quite a large fellow. I had no doubt that he was quite strong. Sakon...had eaten his brother. I wonder what for? Perhaps he was just insane. It could come in useful. Kidomaru. Indeed, he had two extra arms. Another genetic mutation of the T-Virus perhaps? He was sure to come in helpful indeed. Tayuya...a loud-mouthed bitch with a short temper apparently. Hmm...excellent. She would make a fine addition to this group of misfits.

"I am Sasuke Uchiha. Don't get in my way...or I will kill you." I turned back to the limousine, sitting down in the back seat next to Orochimaru. The man smiled, watching his force enter the vehicle. Turning to the driver, he nodded.

"Back to base, please." The man nodded, starting the engine. Together, the six of us drove off to our new destination, leaving everything that I had ever known behind.

* * *

Next Time: The aftermath of the battle. Umbrella comes to clean up the mess of their ruined lab...and save anyone they can. 


	28. Epilogue: Aftermath  End of Episode 1

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 1: So It Begins**

**Chapter 28: Aftermath**

* * *

The researcher gazed sorrowfully at the building, looking around at the dense landscape. It had been two days since the tragedy, and already, he was feeling like it had been two years. Running a hand along his face, he took in another body bag that was being carried up and away. He gazed down at the face, half-eaten. Sasori. Another pet project, given ample time and money to secure a way to manipulate the T-Virus and its hosts. Dead. Another god damn corpse!

"Damn it!" He shouted out, raising a hand to his face. "God fucking damn it!" Turning away, he went back to his tent, sitting down and gazing at the screen of the television set up next to him. All damn day, the same message had been playing on every channel. Every god damn channel.

"Sir! Master Kakashi, sir!" A marine, outside his tent. The silver-haired man stood, walking out with as much grace as possible.

"Yes? What is it?" The man saluted, pointing over to another tent.

"Three more bodies recovered, sir." The lead researcher nodded.

"Do we have ID's?" The marine nodded once more, walking over.

"Yes sir. First one, a man named Deidara. In the Umbrella database. He's...well, he's pretty screwed up." I gazed down at the mess in the body bag, turning away before I could see the entire thing.

"Fine...what about the other two?" He nodded, glancing down at his sheet.

"One...a Shikamaru Nara. He's...well, he's pretty f'ed up to. I wouldn't look at him..." I nodded, bypassing the bag.

"The other one?" He gazed at his sheet, nodding.

"One Itachi Uchiha. I..."

"Wouldn't look at him...right." Turning away, Kakashi sighed. More and more god damned body bags. The man hated death. Everything was dead anymore. "Anything else to report, commander?" The man in the fatigues shook his head.

"Not yet, sir. We are still going down into the bowels of the building. I am sure that more bodies will be recovered." The silver-haired researcher nodded again. He was certain of that as well.

"SIR! We've found something!" The researcher gasped, turning and running towards the building.

"What? What is it?" Kakashi heard calls coming from below in the hole. Suddenly, a large gurney, bearing something wrapped in a sheet, began inching upwards.

"Found her below in one of the labs. She, well..." Lifting one side of the sheet up, he saw the girl. Pretty face, beautiful body.

"She dead?" The men climbed from the hole, brushing off their clothes. One nodded.

"Yeah. Clean slice in her back, right where her heart is. Someone stabbed her, but good." Kakashi nodded, placing a hand on the girl's chest.

"Sorry, my dear." However, as he did so, he gasped once again. Taking no time for formalities, he ripped her shirt off, pressing a hand to her chest once more. He smiled slightly at the familiar thump of her heart. Faint, to be sure. But...it was there! "This girl is alive!"

"Alive? How? Her heart..."

"I don't god damned know why or how! Just get her to a medic, now! If we can save just one from death, then that is worth something, god damn it!" The men saluted, carrying the prone form to the nearby hospital tent. Ten of the country's best surgeons and technicians were on stand-by in case something like this happened, and now was the time to use them. Groping at his face once more, the researcher headed back to his tent, sitting and lying his head down on the table in front of him, the television still repeating the same message, over and over again.

"...demand the World Leader's hand immediate control over to us! Otherwise, a global plague beyond any ever seen shall decimate the population of this world, turning it into Hell on Earth! This is Orochimaru, the leader of the new world order. Our demands are simple. We demand the World Leader's hand immediate..." With a groan, the silver-haired man turned the monitor off, closing his eyes. What had the world become?

* * *

**End of Episode 1!**

**Episode 2: The Hearts That Burn**


	29. Come To Life

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 2: The Hearts That Burn**

**Chapter 1: Come To Life**

* * *

The room was deathly still. Only the occasional beeping of the monitors made any slight noise in the darkened atmosphere of the Holding Room, deep in the recesses of Umbrella's new laboratory. The large, glass tank in the middle of the space threw off an eerie glow, creating a small amount of luminescence that the scientists working in the cramped space were able to use. All extreme or harsh light was forbidden in the area. All the overhead lights had been taken out or left burned. Each of the men and women in the room could feel the heaviness of burden upon them. Their eyes were sore and sullen after spending countless hours upon hours in the area, watching monitors, taking notes, and reading information with light that could hardly count as adequate.

"Status report please." The chief engineer and scientist, Kakashi Hatake, stood in the center of the room, staring at the rounded tube of glass. A woman floated there, her raven colored hair floating slightly in the suspension fluid. Hundreds upon thousands of microscopic nanites floated in the mixture. They had been at work for almost a week, repairing damage to skin, enhancing the musculature system, and re-establishing vitals.

"Health seems to be at one-hundred percent, or as near to one-hundred percent as possible, sir." Another scientist. Another drone.

"Good, good. Let's keep up the pace." He turned, walking a distance before stopping and pointing at another of the workers. "She is at one-hundred percent health. Why isn't she awake?" The man gulped, turning to his monitors.

"Her brain-wave activity is less than perfect, sir. She has the ability to re-awaken anytime. But...it seems that she doesn't want to." Kakashi sighed.

"Why wouldn't she want to awaken? What reason could possibly make her stay in that tube?" He walked to the glass structure, placing a hand on it. Inside, the young woman was floating, still and lifeless. Her organs and body were repaired...but her mind was still working at only a fraction of what it used to. In her diluted fantasies and nightmares, one thought persisted.

_She lay on the floor, gagging on the blood that was threatening to overwhelm her. Above her stood a young man. The man that she had loved...the man that she had given up years of her life to stay close to. A young man...named Sasuke Uchiha._

_  
"I am Sasuke Uchiha...and I need no one." He had said that to her before stabbing her in the heart. She could feel the intense pain of it. It welled inside her like a coiled snake threatening to strike._

_  
"Come, Sasuke." The other man, that Orochimaru. He was the cause of all this. He was the reason that Sasuke had left her. She had tried to cry out, to tell Sasuke to come back. To...to reason with him. He had turned cold, turned and left. She didn't have the strength. She couldn't get up and follow him. She...she..._

_  
She was cold inside. She didn't have the will anymore. Why would she want to stay alive?_

"_Sasuke? Why Sasuke? Why...why did you do this to me? I thought...I..."_

Her eye twitched slightly, and Kakashi watched it closely. "Sir! We have something!" He turned, running to the monitors.

"Hmm...brainwaves just picked up for a moment. I wonder if..."

"_Sasuke...why did you betray me? Why..."_

"Sir! Heart signs are jumping!" The silver-haired man ran to the other side of the room, staring at that screen.

"Is she...is she trying..."

"_Why Sasuke? Why did you choose him over me? Why?"_

"Sir! Muscle activity coming back on-line!" The lead researcher turned back to the tank. He walked to it, eying the woman floating there.

"Yes, Hinata. Yes..."

"_I hate you, Sasuke Uchiha. I...hate...you!"_

He gasped, stepping back slightly. Her eyes opened, and she glared about her, staring at the multitude of small nanites still repairing her body. As if she commanded them to, they all exploded at once, sending a rippling shock wave bursting through the containment pod. The glass began cracking in the center, spreading out in a spider-web effect. Then, it burst altogether, sending shards of glass ripping through the air. The men and women around the lab ducked and dodged, finding protection from the projectiles. Kakashi didn't even flinch as a piece of glass embedded in his arm. He was too excited by the fact that the girl still floated as if by magic, staying suspended where nothing held her up.

"What on Earth has become of this?" He stepped gingerly over larger chunks of glass, stepping within a few feet of the woman as she descended to the ground, landing lightly on her feet. "Welcome back Ms. Hyuuga." She gazed up at him, standing. Only then was she aware that her body wasn't covered. Nor did she care.

"Where am I?" He smiled. So, she was capable of transient thought now as well. Good.

"You are in the heart of Umbrella's Lab, my dear. You have been in an isolation chamber for nearly six days, now. Your injuries were horrific...but those seem to have been taken care of." He gestured to a woman on his right. She nodded, grabbing out a box and handing it to him. "Your clothes, my dear. We took the liberty of updating your equipment slightly." She took the box almost grudgingly, opening it and staring at its contents. "I hope it suits your needs." She huffed slightly, but didn't complain out loud.

Soon, she was dressed. Tight leather skins hugged her own comfortably. Dressed almost nearly in black, she looked at herself in a full-length mirror that had been erected in the lab for the moment. "It suits you, my dear." She looked at the silver-haired man for a moment before going back to her wardrobe. "So...?"

"It's tight. I like it." She stooped, zipping up the long, leather boots that matched the outfit nicely. "So...what has been happening in the past six days?" She turned, a questioning look on her face. Kakashi took a breath. It wouldn't be easy to explain.

An hour later, Hinata Hyuuga sat in a chair, taking in the information fed to her. A week ago, Orochimaru had announced that the world belonged to him under extortion and threats of total world annihilation. He had concocted a form of T-Virus that worked on the instant level. No need to wait for large, mass outbreaks to occur. With the O-Virus, as he so called it, he could infect an entire city in less than an hour.

"You see, Ms. Hyuuga. We need to stop him. He needs to be brought to justice. This is Umbrella's fault, and Umbrella will see to it that he is stopped." She nodded. It was indeed Umbrella's fault. Creating a stupid device such as the T-Virus was all Umbrella's fault.

"So what do you want of me?" Kakashi smiled. This was where the fun began.

"We want you to lead a squad into the depths of Orochimaru's labs. Your squad will be in charge of eliminating him...and everyone that follows him. I know this may seem drastic, and that...a certain someone is with him, but..."

"My team. Who are they?" Kakashi frowned slightly, but went to a clipboard, gazing at it.

"Your team has all been subjected to the T-Virus. However, unlike most of the victim's, they chose it for themselves. All have become stronger from it, and have given themselves to Umbrella because of the power they have received. You will meet them all later, but I can tell you who they are now." He went to the board nearby, pinning up pictures. One, a boy of about sixteen, with short, cropped brown hair. On his head rested a small canine, white with spots of black intermingled. "First off, we have Kiba Inuzuka. His parents and family all died in Konoha during the last major outbreak. He was quite willing to undergo treatment for a canine wound. However, it seemed to have changed him. He has excellent hearing now, far greater than any human ever could. Also, his olfactory nerves seem to have changed as well. He can smell things that only canines ever could."

"He's like a human bloodhound, then?" Kakashi smiled, turning and nodding.

"Yes...you might say that." Turning back to the board, he posted another picture. "This one, a boy named Lee. He didn't have a last name, or one that we could trace, so we gave him the nickname Rock. He seems to have undergone major physical changes as well. His body is much stronger, and he is far faster than he would seem. He excels in attack strength, but lacks in thinking up complex plans. He is more of a human juggernaut than anything." Hinata nodded, taking in the boy's horrible looking bowl cut and white, flashy smile. Rock...Lee? Interesting name. "The next one, member three." He put up another picture. This one was much different...much different indeed. "He seems to be impossible to kill. No matter what we throw at him, he just shrugs it off. In fact, we've even gone so far to cut off his head...but he just laughed at us."

"His...head laughed at you?" Kakashi nodded, turning to face the Hyuuga once more.

"Yes. He thought it all very funny. It seems that the T-Virus has created a mini-system in each of his cells, allowing them to function on the cellular level as well as any person functions in the whole. Each cell seems to have a heart, kidney's, liver, etc. It makes him almost resistant to death." Hinata nodded again. Almost resistant to death? Almost?

"Lastly, you have member number four." He smiled, placing the picture on the wall. Hinata looked at it, getting up and grabbing it in her hands.

"This man...who is he?" Kakashi smiled, leaning back.

"He is, by far, one of the greatest achievements that Umbrella has ever had. His name is Kimimaro Kaguya. He has the ability to change his skeletal structure. Somehow, the T-Virus has given him complete control over it. He...he can create insane items with his own bones." The woman cast one more glance at the photo before leaving it tacked to the wall. "These four are your task force, Ms. Hyuuga. You are the leader. You will go in and destroy Orochimaru's base of operations." She blinked a few times, comprehending the information. "I know this may sound difficult...and it may pose problems to you as you have..."

"Fine. When do I leave?" Kakashi was taken aback slightly. He didn't think that she would mind assassinating Orochimaru...but Orochimaru had taken...

"Ms. Hyuuga. You're well aware that Sasuke Uchiha is with him? In fact, he's the second-in-line. You...you should think about this a little."

"I have thought about it. Sasuke Uchiha is my primary target." The man blinked a few times before going on.

"What do you wish to do once you find Sasuke Uchiha?" She took a breath. Then another. Slowly, she reached down to her chest, placing a hand on her heart. She felt its rhythmic beating. However, it beat strangely. One beat, followed closely by another beat. It did this constantly. Almost as if...

"I have two hearts now, don't I?" She looked up at the man, who sighed, nodding.

"Yes. Well, not exactly two hearts. You see, the nanites couldn't repair your heart fully. To do so would have killed you. So, instead of putting your heart together, they kept it separate, merely healing the wounds. You have a left side and a right side, both working separately but functioning as one heart." She sighed, feeling her pulse again.

"I wish to find Sasuke Uchiha. I will find him, and I will kill him. Why?" She smiled, still feeling the rhythmic beating of her twin hearts.

"Yes, Ms. Hyuuga. Why?" He was waiting for the answer. She looked up, her eyes full of righteous indignation.

"Because, Mr. Hatake. Sasuke Uchiha broke my heart...and he'll pay for it."

* * *

Next time: Hinata meets her teammates, and begins the mission. Will all of them see eye-to-eye? Can they possibly work together to solve this international crisis?


	30. Of Youth And Language

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 2: The Hearts That Burn**

**Chapter 2: Of Youth And Language**

* * *

The room that was shown to her was plain. Nothing stood in the middle of it, and no pictures or graphs hung on the walls. It was as plain as the creators of Umbrella could make it, for, after all, as Kakashi Hatake put it, "what is the point of things in this room? They would just get broken anyways." Hinata thought about what that meant. Broken? Why would things get broken?

"Ms. Hyuuga, please. Allow me to introduce you to your cohorts." As he said this, Kakashi pressed a small button on the wall, opening a door. A person walked in, glancing about until his eyes rested on her.

"Aw! A perfect setting of beauty to contrast with my own of youth! Aw, how the youthful gazes of adoring fans shall beset you in stone for all of time!" He rushed up, kneeling down on the ground and giving her a large, almost fake looking smile. "I...am Lee! I shall forever be your guardian, my youthful beauty!" Kakashi sighed.

"Please, Lee. Settle down now." However, Rock Lee was not about to have any of it.

"Nay! I shall never settle down whilst my eyes gaze upon something of such beauty and youth! My dear, I am at your disposal. Please, allow me to vanquish all foes in front of you, so that you may tread serenely upon the Earth and never fear for your safety." Hinata glanced over at the silver haired man, questioning him.

"Um...why does he talk like this?" Behind the face-mask he wore, Kakashi smiled slightly.

"We've been allowing him to read the books in the archive. He...apparently...has found himself deep within the recesses of Edgar Allen Poe. Brilliant man...but highly neurotic." Lee was still not listening, wandering about the room.

"Ah, but mine eyes do espy things of rare and ultimate beauty and youth. Such were the days of yore that..."

"Very good. Now, to meet the rest of your team." Another button pressed, another door opened. However, no one stood behind this door. Confused, Kakashi went to it, looking about. His head hung soon after, and he grumbled to himself. "Kiba...what are you doing?" He disappeared from view, only to be chased soon after by a small, white dog, barking uproariously.

"Get him, Akamaru!" A boy chased in after, and Hinata watched as the silver haired man ran around the room, chased by the dog, who was hard on his heels.

"Kiba! Stop your insane dog this instant!" The boy...Kiba, apparently, smiled and laughed, whistling.

"Alright, Akamaru. Come on back!" The dog stopped the chase, turning and barking. With a leap, he was atop the boy's head, glaring around protectively. After laughing a few more seconds, the boy came into the room fully.

"Well, that was fun. So, who's this old man?" Kakashi sighed, getting down from the chair he had placed himself on.

"This is your leader for the mission, Kiba. Ms. Hyuuga, this is Kiba Inuzuka, your...ahem, canine companion." Kiba gave him a glare for a moment before smiling.

"Pleased to meet you. Now, where are my treats! I specifically demanded treats every hour, on the hour!" Storming across the room, the boy disappeared into another door, the dog barking slightly on his head. Running a hand across his face, Kakashi sighed. Laughing, Hinata came up, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Are all my teammates going to be so...colorful?" Kakashi sighed again.

"You have no idea, Ms. Hyuuga." Suddenly, another door opened, and a large, heavy looking scythe flew through the entryway, burying itself into the wall.

"I told you fuckers, I don't want shit to disrupt me when I am praying! Damn, you pieces of shit really know how to piss me off, don't you?" A white-haired man strode into the room, glaring about him. Pointing at Hinata, he grimaced. "Who the hell is this stupid bitch? What the fuck are you people doing?" Kakashi again sighed. This day was just getting better and better.

"Please, calm down, Hidan. This is Hinata Hyuuga. She is the leader of your mission, and..."

"Fuck that! Leader of shit is more like it! Look at her! She's barely five-six. I could pick her stupid ass up and throw her across the room!" Taking a chair, he sat down in it. Hinata was trying her hardest not to scream, having already told herself that the man before her was a complete and total psychopath. "You bastards are pissing me off. I'm bored as all hell! When do I get to kill somebody!?" Placing his legs up on the table, he sneered. "Bored as shit, man. I'm really bored as shit."

"Stop talking like that." He started, glaring over at the girl, who glared back. "I will not permit you to talk that way whilst on a mission."

"Fuck you! Who the fuck do you think you are, anyways? Go to fucking hell!" Getting up, he went back to his scythe, pulling it from the wall. Advancing a few steps towards the girl, he pointed it at her. "You try to give me any damn orders, and I'll put this scythe through your skull!" Hinata grimaced once more. Suddenly, a green flash placed itself before her.

"I will not allow someone who is as vulgar and debase as yourself to harm such a fair mistress. So, please. Replace your unrequited hate right now, or you must deal with me." Turning his head, the youth smiled up charmingly at the girl behind him. "Do not worry. I will protect you. You have my undying..." Then, the man rushed forward, knocking the boy away and sending them both to the floor.

"You little shit! I'll beat the hell out of you!" Together, they began exchanging blows, one after another. Hinata looked on, completely disgusted.

"Hmph. It appears this team lacks any leadership ability whatsoever." She blinked, turning to address the newest member of the room. The man stood, a white kimono draped across his shoulders as he watched the two tussling on the ground. Walking a few feet forward, he gazed contemptuously at the girl in front of him. "You lack anything that a warrior needs in battle. You are small, pathetic, useless. You cannot possibly be the leader." Turning back to the scuffle, he walked up to where the two fought, reaching out a hand. His hand suddenly flattened, widening and expanding. Extending out, it created a shield between the two, and they looked up in surprise. "Stop this, you two. I will deal with either of you if you continue this." Laughing contemptuously, the white haired man sneered.

"Shut the fuck up, Kimimaro! You think you rule everything, don't you? Well, see if you rule this!" Taking his scythe in his left hand, he twirled it, planting it into the man's right arm. He smiled as it dug in. "See? How's that feel, you fucker?" Suddenly, the newcomer's left arm became sharp, jagged, like a sword. The man, Hidan, gasped once as it swung forward, connecting at the neck. His head flew from his shoulders, falling perfectly into Hinata's lap. She stared at it for a moment, perhaps too shocked for words, until it glared about, its gaze finally resting on her. "And what the fuck are you looking at, Ms. Idiot?" With a gasp, she tossed the head from her lap, letting it hit the floor and roll about. "Great! Thanks for nothing, you stupid bitch! When I get back up from here, I'm going to kick your sorry ass all over this room!"

"Not until you contend with me, methinks!" The bowl-cut youth once again stood near the female, smiling and placing himself in a fighting stance. With a sigh once more, Kakashi walked to the head, picking it up.

"Please, Hidan. Control yourself, alright?" The head spat at him.

"Shut the hell up, old man! Control your bowel movements first! Don't make me bite you!" Tossing the head to its body, Kakashi went to take a seat as the hands replaced the head to its former place. Almost instantly, the cells grew up and over, stitching themselves completely together again and forming a whole person once more. Hinata watched all with great interest.

"So...you can also repair yourself once you have broken up the party, hm?" Glaring across at her, Hidan went to pick up his scythe, placing it in his lap as he sat down.

"Yeah? So, what of it? Fucking bitches. I hate all of you!" The other boy walked into the room, his dog yipping slightly and a milk-bone protruding from his mouth.

"What did I miss?" Hidan snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Great...dog boy is here. So, we have the bitch, the idiot, the bone head, the dog, and the brains of the outfit. Great team you got here, doc." Kakashi again sighed.

"As I told you before...stop using that language around me!" Everyone gasped, including Hidan, at Hinata's outraged comment. "Especially stop calling me 'bitch'! I am your leader, so you will call me Leader, Hinata, or Ms. Hyuuga. Call me bitch once more, and..."

"Shut the hell up, you stupid bitch! I'll call you bitch all I want to! Listen to this! Hey, you stupid bitch! Stop being such a bitch and be less than a bitch, you stupid..." However, he stopped mid-sentence as, faster than he could see, Hinata appeared behind him, pressing a hand to his chest.

"I warned you." He immediately felt a sensation ripple through his body. His head began to feel heavy, and his heart pounded in his chest. He knelt to the floor, placing his hands on his head, his eyes wide.

"What...what did you...do to me...bitch?" She sighed.

"I merely stopped the blood-flow from your heart. Just to your brain. You never really used that much anyways." She turned to walk back around the table, and he reached a hand out for her.

"I'll...kill...you...you...bitch!" She turned, her grimace still on her face.

"I told you. Stop calling me that!" He began crawling forward, reaching for his fallen weapon, until he collapsed on the floor, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

"Fuck...you..." She sat down, placing her hands on her legs and smiling down at him.

"Just say when you want the pain to stop. You still feel pain, no?" Hidan's vision began to blur, and he closed his eyes, willing the dizzy spell to end.

"Fucking...bitch..." She clucked her teeth, placing a foot on his head and rolling it around on the floor.

"No no no. My name isn't fucking bitch. Nor is it stupid bitch, crazy whore, or whatever else you can come up with. My name, as far as you can refer to me as, is Ms. Hyuuga, Leader, or..." She left the end word dangle.

"Ugh...uh...Hinata?" She smiled, clapping her hands.

"Right! Well done! See, what did we learn today?" Placing a hand on his chest again, he immediately felt better, feeling the blood return to his head and his other parts. Shaking off the immediate reactions of the painful lesson, he stood shakily, glaring at her.

"...I hate you..." She smiled at him as she went to sit in her own chair.

"Suits me fine. You don't have to like me to follow me into hell." The other man, Kimimaro, smiled.

"Well well. Apparently, you do have some sort of leadership skills, don't you?" Taking a seat, he turned his attention to the silver haired man once more. "Very well, when do we leave, and where are we going?" Kakashi, finally seeing the room coming to some sort of peace, turned, pressing a button on the wall. A screen lowered from the ceiling, showing a large, 360 degree view of their objective.

"This is where you are going. The five of you have been charged with destroying Orochimaru's base of operations. This is it, here." Using a stick, he pointed at a small building in the middle of the forest. Hidan glared at it.

"Wait...Orochimaru is controlling this entire thing...from a small, fucking building?" He glared about, until he noticed the look that Hinata was flashing him. "Oh...sorry. I mean, this small building right here?" Kakashi nodded.

"Yes, Hidan. That building is where Orochimaru is doing all of his testing. You five will have to go there and find him and anyone who follows him. They will all need to be assassinated." Turning, he pressed the button once more, returning the screen to the ceiling. "I don't have to tell you that this is dangerous. That is why we feel it necessary to send you five. You are the best that we can afford to send in." Again, Hidan wasn't convinced.

"Wait. You want us to go somewhere that you could just as easily blow the hell up? What the hell is that all about?" Kakashi sighed once more. Hidan was really...very dense. However, before he could explain, Kimimaro joined in.

"You see, Hidan. Orochimaru has become a threat not only to Umbrella, but to the entire world. You do not think that he would challenge World rule without a back-up plan, do you?" The blank look that Hidan gave him meant that he clearly didn't understand. "Very well. Let me explain further." Going to the board behind him, Kimimaro began drawing out a very crude picture. "See, this is the world, here." He drew a picture of a sphere. "Now, this is Orochimaru, here." He drew a picture of a stick figure man. "This is the world leader symposium, standing for the world leader's in control right now." He drew a picture of a box.

"Looks like something cereal comes in." Hidan smiled to himself until a glance from Hinata made him stop.

"Hmph. Now, this is the total nuclear payload the world has to offer. Any of these missiles here could take out an entire swath of land." He drew a large assortment of pine tree looking missiles, each pointing at Orochimaru. "Now, say the world leader's decided to fire a missile. What do you think would happen?" Hidan smiled, standing.

"It would blow his shit up! YES!" However, a look from Kimimaro made him stop. "It...wouldn't blow his shit up?"

"No, you stupid idiot! He would simply hack into the mainframes of the missile guidance system, change the trajectory, and fire it at another country instead. Now do you get it?" However, before Hidan could help explain what he thought he knew, Hinata piped in.

"That would start a World War, each country firing nuclear weapons at each other. Orochimaru wouldn't need the virus. The world would destroy itself." Kimimaro smiled slightly, nodding.

"That's not all, though." Kakashi stood, going to the board. "Think about it. If Orochimaru wants to rule the world, he doesn't want a bunch of missiles destroying it, now does he?" He began to draw his own picture, almost as crudely as Kimimaro's. "That is where the O-Virus comes in..."

"The Orochimaru virus? What kind of retard makes a name like that?" Hidan huffed, placing his arms across his chest and glaring at the board. "I would call it the kick-your-ass virus...or the fuck-you-to-hell virus, or something cool like that." Another stern glance from Hinata caught his attention. "Um...sorry. Continue." Kakashi nodded.

"Thank you. So, his virus is simply the T-Virus, transformed. Not only does it infect an entire city, but..." and here he paused, turning around to face the group. "It also allows him to control the populace completely." Hinata blinked a few times, then stood.

"Kakashi, what do you mean? The T-Virus destroys any semblance of logical thinking a person may have. How is his virus any different?" He smiled, turning back to the board. He drew a rudimentary brain, cross-cutting it into pieces.

"Because, Ms. Hinata. Because his virus doesn't destroy the brain entirely. See, here is the portion of the brain needed to breath. Your heart beats, and your eyes see with these portions. Here is the portion for rational thinking..."

"Hidan! Did you lose that portion?" Kiba smiled over at the scythe wielder, who grimaced.

"Shut the fuck up, dog boy!" A grunt from Hinata silenced them both.

"As I was saying, this portion destroys rational thinking. This portion here..." and here he pointed to another portion. "This portion controls the ability of a person to relate to others. Orochimaru, the genius that he is, decided that if he could somehow destroy that portion and leave the rational thought portion intact, he could control the world. He...has done just that." The man began to scribble out the drawing, leaving only certain parts of it. "When a person is infected, he or she wishes only to associate with other infected people. This leads to large, mass groups forming. Now, when they meet someone who isn't infected, they act as the T-Virus would make them act. They cannibalize, they kill, they maim...they turn into monsters. Once the non-infected person is killed or infected themselves, the person reverts to the norm, and everything is fine. Orochimaru has even gone so far as to encode his own DNA into the virus. Now, whenever he gives an order, the mass of willing infected take it. They...are his puppets, basically." Hinata shuddered slightly to herself. Much the way Sasori had taken control over the mindless beasts.

"The power of youth shall overcome this!" The green suited idiot. Jumping onto the table, he flashed everyone a large smile. "Do not worry. The world shall be saved by us! We...are the champions, my friends! We'll keep on fighting, 'til the end! We are the champions! We..." As he continued his song and dance, Kakashi sighed once more. He really should have stopped him from going into the music archives.

"Very well. We have our orders." Hinata stood, waiting until the rest of her team stood at attention. Looking over at Kakashi, she nodded. "When do we leave?" He smiled, turning back to the board and drawing while he talked.

"You leave just as soon as the helicopter is prepared and fueled. Remember, you have a limited amount of time to take control of the situation. Your targets are Orochimaru. He has five henchmen." He drew each out, turning around to allow them all to see. "If you come across infected, remember that they are no longer human, but sub-human. As we know, there is no cure for Orochimaru's virus, so you will just have to eliminate them." Hidan smiled, gripping his scythe.

"Cool...a chance to kill things." Lee shook his head, staring down at his fist.

"Killing things is not cool, Hidan. The power to kill is very cool...the power to not use that power to kill is even cooler..." Hidan glared across at him.

"Since when did you become a fucking poet?" Both began a glaring war, while Kiba and Akamaru stood back a ways from it, watching the outcome. Kimimaro contented himself with his thoughts, until Hinata walked forward, touching the board. He glanced over, noticing her hand rested on the likeness of...

"What do you seek to do once you attain what you want?" She quickly blinked, turning her head slightly to address the bone-user.

"I want to end the suffering that I have caused. I want to take back my regrets." Turning back to the board, she placed her hand back on the picture. Sasuke Uchiha grinned back at her, almost beckoning to her. With an angry exclamation, she ran her hand across the board, smearing the ink. "Everyone!" Everything stopped in the small room, as all eyes turned to her. With the fire of decision burning within her pupils, she turned, addressing them all. "Kill who you want. Find the other four that follow that bastard Orochimaru and destroy them. However...if any of you touch Sasuke Uchiha, you will deal with me." She strode across the room, pressing the button that opened the door into the docking bay and equipment room. "When I find the Uchiha, I will deal with him personally. Until then, no one is to touch him, understood?" Without waiting for an answer, she strode off, going into the equipment room to find herself a decent weapon. The others began filing after her, Hidan being the last.

"Man...she's one fiery bitch, that's for sure..." Turning to look at Kakashi, he nudged him. "Hey, old guy. What the fuck is the deal with her?" The lead scientist sighed once more.

"Hinata Hyuuga...is very unique." Hidan coughed.

"What...the T-Virus gave her some sort of crazy, super-human powers or something?" Kakashi smiled, watching the others go into the equipment room.

"Not at all, Hidan. You have it all wrong. Hinata Hyuuga...has never been infected with the T-Virus. Her abilities...are all founded herself." With a push, he directed the white-haired man into the hallway...where they would all meet their destinies.

* * *

Next Time: What is going on in the Laboratories of Orochimaru? What secrets does it hold? Sasuke Uchiha finds himself...doubting his own motives. 


	31. Foreboding of Regret

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 2: The Hearts That Burn**

**Chapter 3: Foreboding of Regret**

* * *

I lie in bed, wondering to myself.

What exactly have I accomplished in a week?

I have threatened the world with mass extinction and death. I have joined the side of a madman. I have devoted myself to the destruction of mankind.

As I lie in bed, staring at my ceiling, wondering about all that I have done, I can't help but think to myself...

Is this truly what I want?

Is this truly what I desire?

I got up off my bed, stretching my limbs. Walking outside, I scratch my head and stare down the small hallway, lights illuminating each side of it. As I stand there, three people walk by, each nodding slightly to me as they do. Their eyes glow blue in the light, and I grimace. Each scientist, each worker, each drone, is just a slave. They have no will of their own. They do what I tell them, when I tell them, how I tell them. They have orders from Orochimaru to do what I wish, and that is exactly as they do. They have no feelings, no thoughts or inner-monologue. They are totally under the control of the thing that makes them most vunerable. Their appetites for flesh. A female walks by, jotting down notes on a pad. Her feet click along on the ground as the white lab coat swishes slightly around her ankles. A sudden fancy catches me. A fancy for something that I usually don't do. "You!" She turns, looking at me.

"Yes, Uchiha-kun?"

"Remove your clothing and get naked. Then lie prostrate on the ground." She nods, no hesitation. She begins to strip, but I wave her off. "Never mind, leave." She nods again, placing her clothes back on and resuming her walk, her hands still jotting notes tirelessly on her pad...as if nothing had happened. I sighed. So many simpletons standing around me. It is almost unbearable the way I have to deal with them. They have no will of their own. If I had a mind, each female in the area would be mine, every night of every week. What a bore that would become. A man's dream...until one realizes that that dream has become a nightmare. A voice comes on over the radio overhead.

"Lunch time!" I grimace, standing back against the wall as a crowd wanders by me. I follow in their wake, standing by as they enter a room up the corridor a ways, left barren and blood-ridden. The door closes down as the last of the workers enters, the only light in the hallway coming from a one-way mirror sitting in the wall. I walk to it, watching the inside of the room. Over a hundred stand there, glancing around, anticipation on their faces. Another door opens, and four people are thrust through, scared, naked, and above all...vulnerable! The others gaze at them, some with the same humanity as they had always held. However, it doesn't last. The mass change on a whim, suddenly becoming more monstrous than anything on the planet. In their frenzy, they throw themselves upon the four, and they go down, screaming. In a matter of a few minutes, all that remains are a few bones and spatterings of blood. The group focuses, and the wall opens on their left, lined with new white lab coats. They take one, replacing their old, bloodied ones. Workers will be in later to dispose of them. After they are dressed, they file out and go about their business, as if nothing ever happened. Some begin again to tick down notes on pads of paper. Still others walk off with their interrupted task to seek.

"Look at them, Sasuke. They are nothing but puppets. Stupid animals that we control. Doesn't that feel good? Wonderful, even? Knowing you control these beasts with but a word?" Orochimaru stands behind me, and I turn, eying him.

"Is that how it is supposed to feel? Wonderful?" The man scoffs at me.

"And how else should it feel, hm? You have forsaken the world of men for one that is much darker. You are the reason that any of this actually exists. You are the soul purpose for this operation. You...and only you."

"Doesn't this feel wrong? Isn't what we are doing...completely wrong?" He smiles at me, shaking his head.

"Sasuke, we have become the masters of fate! The bringers of legend! Who cares if a few million are tread upon in our quest to bring peace to this world? We are Gods! Remember this." Turning, he stalks away, off to another of his insane experiments. I hear another voice in my ear. A head-set that only my squad and I are allowed to wear. Something to keep us connected with one another.

"Sasuke-kun...I'm ready." Tayuya. Apparently, she has gotten to thinking that I actually care for her. Perhaps so. I smile, walking down the hallway. She hadn't taken long to turn, as the case would be. Perhaps three days. Three days of flowers, candy, sweet nothings. Really, I hadn't worked that hard, though perhaps it was the fact that with her, I had had too work at it. With the other females surrounding me, one word would be sufficient. Only one word, and they would be mine. But, their bodies are cold...lifeless...meaningless. Rather would a warm body that gives one warmth in return to have around than one that clutches the warmth of a man and leaves him empty.

I turn into another room. Scientists mill about, looked over by Sakon. He turns, smiling at me. Showing me a stump of a finger, he grins.

"Hey, Sasuke! We're trying to figure out if my ability can be inherited." Taking out a knife, he slashes out at a worker, who screams in agony as his hand falls to the ground. Picking it up, Sakon bites down upon the hand, ripping off the finger and chewing it thoughtfully. Swallowing, he puts his hand out again, smiling as blood drips down his chin...and his finger regrows. He flexes it, then places it into his pocket, smiling at me. "We haven't gotten it yet...but we're still trying." I nod at him, curt and formal.

"Well done, Sakon. Work harder." He smiles, saluting me and turning to the man who is hoveled on the ground, holding his hand and crying out in pain. An infected person would feel no pain...no remorse. This person..._Sakon is using living people here? I wonder how they are able to stay alive in this place of death? "_Sakon, you are using non-infected scientists? What does Orochimaru say about this?" He turned, half-way thinking about the question.

"Oh, you know me. Living flesh always tastes better, I suppose. Oh, and don't worry about them." He walks up, going closer to my ear. "After we are done here, they are lunch, apparently." I nod.

"Very well. Continue." I turn, and his voice behind me ushers me on.

"Oh, come on! It's only a flesh wound! Get up, you wuss!" I shake my head, turning and leaving the laboratory. In another room, Kidomaru practices his fighting. He is against four, and I stand and watch as they all attack at once. His eyes are closed, and I wonder how he'll be able to defeat all four men with them closed. As if by magic, his four arms lash out, catching them and sending them to the floor. He smiles as they get up, weighing him before attacking once again. In a matter of moments, they are all dead, various parts strewn across the floor. Kidomaru glances over, waving at me.

"Ah! Sasuke! So, how'd I do?" I smile, nodding.

"Well done, Kidomaru. No mercy, as I would expect from you." I glance at the men. Their eyes are all blue...they were infected. "Did you tell them to go easy?" He smiles, turning.

"No. They are attacking as if they are going to eat me. Of course, they have to keep me down long enough for that. But, just as a restraint, we have a secret word to make them stop."

"Oh? Secret word?"

"Yeah. Umbrella. Kinda poetic, eh?" I nod, and he smiles. "Alright! Bring in the next four!" Another door opens, and four more men walk in, nervous and edgy. As well they should be. I leave this room, wandering through. Another room holds Jirobo, watching a movie. Godzilla, an ancient monster of Japanese lore, ravages a city. Jirobo laughs as more innocents are crushed.

"This movie is great! I can't get enough of it!" He stuffs more popcorn into his mouth, then notices me. "Hey, Sasuke! Come on in! Want some popcorn?" I shake my head, placing a hand up.

"No, thank you." I turn to leave, then turn back, inquiring. "Shouldn't you be monitoring the outside feeds?" He smiles, turning back to the screen.

"No, I have a couple of drones doing that. I just can't seem to get enough of this thing." He laughs, then again offers me the popcorn. "You sure you don't want any?" I smile, placing a hand up.

"No...enjoy the movie, however." He smiles, nodding.

"Thanks! This is only the fifth time I've seen it, and it gets funnier every time! Look at that! HAHAHA!" I smile, walking out of the room.

"Sasuke-kun...where the hell are you? I'm getting cold, damn it!" I sigh, walking back to the end of the corridor. I input my password, and the door slides open, revealing Tayuya on her bed...in a very seductive lingerie. She looks up, smiling at me. "So...how do I look?" I smile at her, pressing the door lock to come down and lock shut.

Is destroying humanity worth it?

Was betraying my love worth it?

Is ultimate power worth the destruction of the world?

As I lay down, kissing the woman before me, we melt into each other's bodies, and I can't help but think...

...You better believe it is!

* * *

Next Time: Hinata and her team are on the way to destroy the base of operations. The building sits in a large, dense forest, and their helicopter flies straight and true to the source. However, the group soon learns what the phrase "Ground-to-Air" truly means. Also next time, the group discovers a shocking secret to Orochimaru's base of operations. 


	32. Forest of Death

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 2: The Hearts That Burn**

**Chapter 4: The Forest of Death**

* * *

Hinata gazed out the window of the chopper, watching the scenery flash by below her. Trees, buildings, and pavement blended together as the group left the inner-city and became immersed in the outside edge of the forest. At the moment, two of the members of her small squad were already busy yelling back and forth at one another. She sighed, still gazing out the window.

"...And what I'm saying is that Gilligan is a chump! He should've killed that fat asshole and taken that one super-model chick as his bitch! Then, he should have gotten the hell off the island!"

"Ah, but you forget, my rapacious fellow. The chap Gilligan was on a desert island, with nought but a few people and some trees. How ever could such a man get off an island without the spirit of youth to guide him?"

"By becoming a fuckin' pirate, don't you get it? Damn, you're dumb! He'd just have to sink a ship, steal the money, and..." Hinata grimaced, cutting off the noise from the rest of her group as she focused on the mission in front of her. They had been outfitted beautifully, and she smiled as she caressed the heavy shotgun that she held in her lap. A fine pack of ammunition was slung around her leather-bearing body, and she sighed as she felt the heaviness weighing her down. She glanced around at the others, each carrying consistently more and more in the way of weaponry. Kimimaro and Hidan were the two who hadn't chosen anything. Hidan had kept his scythe, feeling more at home with hand-to-hand combat. Kimimaro had stayed with his ability of skeletal manipulation. He had also demonstrated a quaint trick, using his bones and shoving them through his fingers with such velocity that they turned into boney projectiles. Almost bullet-like. Hinata hadn't seen the entirety of his abilities come into play yet, but she was sure to get an eyeful during the mission. As the helicopter rotors continued their incessant thrumming, her mind turned back to the scene in the equipment room.

"_Now, everyone please listen!" The group turned to the commander in charge. Kakashi gave a small cough before continuing. "As I said before, Ms. Hyuuga here will be in charge of this squad. Listen to her and follow her orders. This is my order to you." _

"But what happens if her stupid ass orders get us killed?" Hidan was glaring across at her, but she didn't mind at all. Instead, her thoughts were distracted away._  
_

_"Well, if she gets you killed...um, bad luck I suppose." Hidan grunted something, but retained with his comments._

_  
"Do not worry, my dear fellow! Our ravenous beauty shall never allow harm to befall us, for I will never allow harm to befall her!" _

"Oh, shut up already, green boy! Geez, you're like a broken record player!" 

"_ARF!"  
_

"_Quiet, Akamaru." _

"_Yeah! Shut up, both of you!"_

"_Hey, who are you telling to shut up?"_

"_You, you stupid mutt!"_

"_I'm gonna rip off your head again!" _

"Just you try it, you fuck!" 

"_ENOUGH!" Hinata was now out of her chair, and pushed to her limits. "If you all don't shut the hell up right now, I'll stop the blood flow to your eyes! Then you won't be able to see anything when I kill you!" Hidan glowered silently in all directions, but Kiba turned, stroking his dog's head and mumbling low under his breath._

"_...He started it..."_

"_Very well, the helicopter is ready to go. Out that door, please." The group shuffled out of the back, Kakashi seeing them as far as the door of the vehicle. As Hinata made to enter the helicopter, she felt a tug on her arm. Kakashi glanced up as she glanced down, and he smiled. _

"_Whatever happens, Hinata. Remember...remember that here, you always have a home." She frowned, then wrenched her arm away._

"_No...I have no home. I will never have a home. But...this is close. Thank you." He smiled again, watching as she stepped into the cockpit. Hinata gave him one last look as the chopper rose into the sky, leaving the safety of Umbrella's second main hangar and launch facility and flying its six occupants towards their destination._

"Hinata, are you alright?" A voice to her right...Kimimaro. She turned, smiling as the sound of a near-friendly voice brought her back to reality.

"Of course. I'm just eager to land, I suppose." He gazed at her, almost sadly, before nodding.

"Yes, though eager is not the word I would use to describe it. Tense, perhaps." She smiled, nodding again. Then, he turned to her, eying her levelly. "If you meet the Uchiha, as you are so sure you will...then..." He turned away, gazing through the window, as if seeking an answer.

"Then what, Kimimaro?" He sighed, still staring out the window. Then, as if in a trance, he began talking...slowly at first, as if he wasn't sure of himself, but picking up momentum.

"When I was a small boy, I was given an animal to watch. Nothing big, a hamster. It rolled around in a ball, did what hamsters do." He sighed once more. "One of my father's friends came over. He saw my hamster, and began to torture it. I was only five." Sitting down, he placed his hands on his knees, as if reliving the memories. "I didn't know any better. How could I? So, I went to my father's gun cabinet, pulled out a gun, and went back. I pointed it at him, told him to stop, to put down my pet. Instead, he threw it against a wall, crushing all of its bones and creating a void within me."

"Then what happened, Kimimaro?" He smiled, turning to the woman at his side.

"I...didn't pull the trigger. Oh, how I wanted to. I wanted too so badly. It hurt almost, the feeling of wanting to take his life with the weapon in my hands. But, I didn't shoot. Then, he attacked me. Hit me, kicked me...I was too young to defend myself. My father walked in then, tried to stop it. The man picked up the gun and shot him. He shot my father...his friend. The man was drunk, I found out later. Two days from then, my father died in a hospital bed. I was broken in almost every place." He sighed, cupping his head in his hands. "This gift I have...it is more than a gift. It is a curse and a gift combined into one. The people of Umbrella gave me this after they infected me. That was my punishment for not being able to do what I needed to. Only you know the truth behind this. Don't tell a soul." Hinata, her lower lip quivering slightly, placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

"Why do you tell me this, Kimimaro?" She was questioning the very foundation of his life, how he reacted to living. He pulled away, going to stand near the door of the helicopter. He glanced down again.

"I tell you this so you won't make my mistake." Turning, he walked to her, kneeling and placing a hand on her weapon. "When it comes time to pull the trigger...do not hesitate. Don't ask yourself any questions, and above all, do not wonder why you do it. Just...do it!" She gasped slightly as he grabbed her gun, yanking it to emphasize his point. She allowed him a brief look into her fractured psyche before her eyes hardened and she hugged her gun to her.

"Whatever. I will do as I know I should." He humphed slightly, but said no more, going to the door of the cockpit and looking down into the forest. Akamaru and Kiba were already in the co-pilots seat, watching everything that was going on.

"So, that makes this thing go down? And that makes it go up?" The pilot smiled, nodding.

"Yep! That is the rotor function, showing how fast the prop is rotating. Right now, we're going at about seven thousand RPM's, a little slow, but we don't want to go too fast." Kiba nodded, as if he understood.

"That's the fuel, there, right? And that there is the guidance control?" The man nodded.

"Right again! Right now, we're heading directly on target." Kiba smiled up at his dog.

"Cool! The stuff in here is neat!" Hinata allowed herself a dry smile. Kiba couldn't have been much more than fourteen. He had no idea of what lay ahead. Suddenly, he sniffed the air. "Hey...I smell something funny in the air." An angry exclamation from the back made him turn.

"Hey! He who smelt it dealt it!" Kiba growled slightly, but shook his head.

"No no, not that. Smells like...gunpowder. Gunpowder...and smoke?" He glanced over at the pilot as another angry exclamation came floating up from the back.

"Shut the hell up! We're all packing, here. Of course you fucking smell gunpowder!" Kiba shook his head once again.

"No. Not from inside. It's from outside the helicopter, I think."

"Kiba, you can smell things from outside the helicopter?" Hinata was curious now, coming up to glance at the boy. He smiled over his shoulder at her, rubbing the dog's head as it gazed down from atop his own.

"Yeah, me and Akamaru here can sniff pretty much anything. Ain't that right, Akamaru?" The dog yipped, looking down. "Smell's still getting stronger. It's almost as if the smell is right outside. Right..." He began to crisscross the cockpit, pointing. "Right...there!" Suddenly, a light began to blink in front of him. He glanced down, excitedly exclaiming, "Ooo...what's that one?" The pilot glanced over, and then whitened.

"That's the incoming indicator!" Looking outside, he swore slightly under his breath, pulling the controls back in time to avoid a large missile from slamming into the side of the machine. However, instead of continuing its course, it sped up, reversing direction and heading back, a long streak of light blazing from its back-end. "Damn it! Everyone strap in! This is gonna get hairy!" Suddenly, the helicopter began a series of dips, twists, and turns, the missile slightly slower than the machine in front of it. "Damn heat seeking son-of-a-bitch!" Pulling up sharply, he turned. "You might want to put on a parachute, you guys!" Hinata gulped, grabbing a parachute off the wall.

"This is just fucking great, man. We're all gonna die before I get to kill something! DAMN IT!" She glared over at Hidan, who was having problems with his parachute. "Help me get this damn thing on, will you?"

"Do not worry. I will gladly assist you in the acquiring of the safety apparatus!" Lee walked over, reaching up to help the other man. It was interesting that he was able to keep his balance. In fact, in Hinata's point of perspective, it appeared as if Rock Lee was swaying gently to the motion in the helicopter.

"Er...no thanks. I'll do it..." However, Lee was incessant, still fiddling with the man's straps. "I said get away from me!" Hinata sat heavily on the bench near her, closing her eyes. As a child, she had always been afraid of heights, and now was no exception. As the pilot did everything in his power to avoid death, she hugged her legs, counting slowly to one hundred. It was how she got through horrifyingly scary things. It seemed to help...and anything helpful was readily used.

"Damn. Kiba, hit that button over there!" Kiba glanced around, seeing a small, red button protruding from the cockpit.

"Um...this one?" The man nodded.

"Yes! Push it!" Kiba smiled, pressing the button. The helicopter's emergency flares were sent out, creating multiple heat signatures in the sky. The missile dwindled for a moment, as if trying to decide what to do. However, instead of going for one of the fakes, it simply pushed through, still seeking the undercarriage of the helicopter's belly.

"Shit! Everyone, hang on! This is..." Then...silence. Hinata remembered briefly, in the split second that followed, that the force of a rocket blast could knock one's sense of being into whack. She was dimly aware that the cockpit was in ruins, and her fellow passengers were screaming. None of this registered. _Strange, _she thought, _how everything in life seems to go by in an instant...but takes forever to get there. _Her revelation was jolted out of her, however, as the cockpit erupted into a long, loud sound. It was as if two knives were slowly being scraped upon one another. This was followed by a loud explosion, which made the cockpit erupt into a blaze of fire. Hinata glanced up, hearing screaming coming from everyone in the cockpit. However, she couldn't tell if she herself was screaming. She could only imagine that she was.

Time slowed to a crawl as the cockpit inverted, sending her to the back wall. A large piece of metal protruded out, and she gave out a cry as she felt her arm rip upon the jagged piece of shrapnel, the sticky feeling of warm blood running down her side, soaking through her leather outfit. Then, the helicopter slammed into the ground, and her body was thrust forward upon someone else's. Two arms grabbed her in an embrace, and a shield of some sort was placed over her...protecting her from the other random chunks of debris that seemed to be flying about as if in a hurricane. She felt the cold steel of a large caliber weapon in front of her...her own shotgun, and she sighed as her body melted into its exterior. The cold metal felt wonderful against her skin, which seemed oddly hot and fluid. Then...silence once again. Her eyes closed as her head swam in a muddy mire of unending pain. Unconsciousness swallowed her whole being, and she allowed herself to dip into the sea of desperate sleep.

* * *

By the time she came to, she was lying on a soft bed. Petals fell softly all around her, and she groaned as she straightened, yawning slightly. "Wha...where am I?" 

"Are you alright, Hinata-chan?" She perked up, seeing movement to her right. Looking over, she saw Sasuke Uchiha walk to her, a cup of water in his hand. Handing it to her, he smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed as she drank. "Don't drink too fast." She did as bid, sipping slowly.

"Sasuke...kun...I..." He smiled once again, placing a finger to her lips.

"Do not worry, my love. We are safe. You are safe." She smiled, laying her head on his chest. She felt arms wrap around her, comforting her.

"Sasuke-kun...I..."

"Shhh...hush now. Sleep..." She sighed, closing her eyes.

"I feel...so...relaxed. I...I..."

"Please...wake up, Hinata." She reopened her eyes, and Sasuke stood, urgency in his voice. "Wake up, please..."

"Wake up? You just told me to sleep." Two arms grasped her shoulders, and she could feel them shake her.

"Hinata...wake up!" Her head was still fogged, her mind cloudy. She didn't understand.

"What? Why? I'm not asleep!"

"Hinata...Wake up, you bitch!" Her eyes hardened.

"What did you just call me? You never called me that before." Sasuke was angered now, his eyes turning into reddened slits. Her body shook harder as his arms pumped faster.

"Wake up, bitch! Wake the hell up!" She shot forward, glaring at the man.

"I'm not asleep!"

"Hinata! Wake the fuck up!" Her eyes shot open, and she groaned as she sat up, feeling the hard rock beneath her. Hidan glared down, his scythe in one hand and a charred piece of wood in the other. "You were knocked the fuck out, woman!" She glared up at him.

"What did I tell you about saying things like that, hm?" He yipped slightly, seeing her face turned hard and cruel, turning his head sheepishly.

"Hn...whatever. Come on." Dropping the wood on the ground, he reached a hand down, yanking her to her feet. She held a hand to her injured arm, memories of the crash flooding back to her. Her wound pulsed with pain, and she winced as a fresh stab shot through her, almost sending her to her knees. Staring at the wreckage of the helicopter, she gasped.

"Lee...Kimimaro...Kiba..." A tear ran slowly down her face as the fire from the wreck began to burn hotter, the oil and heavy sludge like fuel beginning to catch. To think, she thought ironically, I was the leader, and more than half of my unit is killed already.

"Hmm...so, you did live, eh?" She gasped in surprise, turning. Kimimaro smiled back at her. "I had hoped my shield would have sufficed to keep you from serious harm. That seems to be the case." He was followed by a horribly cut up Kiba and an ever enthusiastic Lee, who went to one knee.

"Ah, my princess! I was fearful that you had left this world for the next! Fear not! I shall never again leave your side!" Jumping up, the boy took to the trees, leaving Hinata's side. She frowned, and then winced, her arm still torn and bleeding. On the outskirts of the wound, she swore she saw the hind part of a jagged bone sticking up through the cartilage and muscle tissue. Berating herself for becoming wounded like that, she looked up apologetically.

"Sorry guys. I'm afraid I won't be of any use. God, this thing hurts like hell!" She pressed a hand to the wound, but instantly regretted it.

"Here, allow me." Kimimaro walked over to where she stood, placing two hands over her arm. They grew out, fusing to her being with a long, thin plate of bone. She cried out involuntarily at the sudden pain, and then it was over. Kimimaro smiled slyly, removing his hands and allowing them to reshape. Her arm was now like new, besides the fact that it was still quite tender. She rubbed life into it, inspecting it. Not a scratch or bruise was left. Not even any scarring represented itself on her person. As for her broken appendange, that seemed perfectly fine...almost stronger, if the case were appropriate. Surprised, Hinata glanced up at the man, who turned.

"Kimimaro...but...how?" He smiled, walking forward and over to the wreckage of the chopper.

"Sometimes a wound is healed by time. Other times, a wound is healed by medicine. More often than not, a wound is healed by remorse." She blinked, smiling and shaking her head. Whatever that was supposed to mean, she didn't truly know. That would be a mystery that she would have to solve later. For now, they were stranded in the middle of a forest, surrounded by enemies for all she knew.

"Hey, you guys! The pilot is toast!" Kiba began to drag a limp form from the burning cockpit, his body still smoldering. Hinata walked over, kneeling and checking the man's pulse. Indeed, he was dead. The force of the impact shattered his cranium, probably destroyed his internal organs as well.

"Well, I suppose we are stuck here." Standing, she turned around, looking for anything to give her directions. "The last time, we were headed that direction. We should continue that way." She began her walk, sensing the others following her after a while. At least that was going right. They still counted her as the leader of this mission. She gripped her weapon even tighter. She was now closer to the Uchiha. So close now...

* * *

It was almost dark when they neared the building. They had wandered aimlessly in the right direction, or so Hinata had thought. Her instincts had been right, however, as the building loomed up, a fortress amid a moat of trees. It sat on a slight rise from the rest of the land. Two dual turrets sat on the top, laser guided. Hinata was sure that the surrounding forest had similar traps as well, and she was on the lookout for them. Lee came back from a scouting mission, shaking his head. 

"There are lots of traps. It is of no use to try and take the building by force, methinks." Hidan sneered.

"Oh, give it a rest, Einstein. We need a fucking plan, not shit that we can't use!" A glare from Hinata silenced him into a dull submission. He turned, lopping the heads off of some dandelions.

"Very well. I have a plan." Looking up at Kimimaro, she nodded. Melding into the trees, the man disappeared, and for a few tense moments, the four others waited, crouching in the bushes and gazing up at the building. It seemed like mere seconds later, though it was much longer in spatial time, when the man returned, throwing two bodies down. The corpses were highly mangled, and both had the same piercing blue eyes.

"It seems that these two were supposed to be on guard duty. They have relinquished their lives...again." Hinata nodded. Killing would have to be a part of this mission, though she hated to think about that. It made it slightly easier knowing that they would be killing already dead creatures. But...it still didn't seem right to her.

"Are there any more of them around?" She glanced at Kiba, who sniffed the air. He shrugged.

"I don't know, Hinata. Smells are coming from everywhere. I think I can smell more...but it's faint. Almost as if...it's here, but not really here." Hinata blinked. Here...but not here? What did that mean? Well, she would have to figure out that puzzle later as well.

"Alright. We need to make it to that building. Let's go!" Getting up, she began jogging towards their destination, the building still looming up over them. She sensed, rather than heard, sounds from the underbrush. Laser beams began cutting through the stillness, one singeing her hair from the front as she dove under cover. Kimimaro took shelter behind a tree, a laser bolt blasting into the trunk and sending splinters flying. Kiba and Akamaru were close behind Hidan, who dodged out of the way of a loose blast, diving and rolling on the ground.

"This shit pisses me off!" An enraged Hidan flew by Hinata's post, his scythe at the ready. A laser turret popped up, and he gave a grunt of surprise as it let fly, blasting him full in the face with a high-powered beam of energy. His head flew from his shoulders...but his body continued to move, swinging the scythe through and down. The laser turret crackled as the body of the gun flew through the woods, ending up on a loam of grass. The rest still sizzled with life. "Hey! Come get me you stupid shit!" The body dropped the scythe, milling about for its head on all fours. Hinata would have laughed had the situation not been so dire. Getting up, she walked to the head, picking it up and placing it in the waiting arms of the headless body.

"Good job, Hidan." The white-haired man smiled, replacing his body part on his shoulders and cracking his neck several times as it re-adjusted itself.

"Thanks! Now, let's go kill some more of these fuckers!"

"I'm sorry. I have already done that for you." Lee dropped from the trees, four laser turrets in his hands. He dumped them on the ground, giving the group a thumb's up. "I have told you, I will protect you until I die, princess." Hinata blushed slightly, but it was still too dark to see properly.

"Thank you, Lee. Now, where's Kiba?" The aforementioned boy ran by, his dog on his head, barking. He glanced back, yelling out at the top of his lungs.

"Run, damn it! RUN!" Blinking several times, the group turned, gazing into the clearing. Blue eyes began sprouting from the darkness, followed by the flapping of wings and the growling of canines and other sordid creatures.

"Shit! I'm with the dog! Run!" The four turned, heading towards the now relative safety the building in front of them seemed to give. The pack of infected animals behind them was getting louder and closer, and Hinata thought she could feel a harsh, heavy breathing almost directly behind her. She didn't dare turn, still fleeing with the rest. As they neared the building, the animals stopped the chase, instead contenting themselves with stalking around the perimeter. Huddled in the lee side of the building's shadow, the five gasped for breath, staring at the animals ranging themselves out.

"They're waiting for something...but what?" Kiba glanced over at Hinata, who shook her head.

"I don't know." However, they didn't wait long. The hunger gripped the creatures, and they surged forward, a milling pack of crazed animals. Hidan laughed aloud as he plunged into the mass of animals, using his scythe as a death scourge.

"Haha! Come to me, little creepy things! I'll send you all on your way to hell!" His scythe flew fast and thick, lopping off heads and cutting animals in half. A canine jumped up, grabbing onto his arm as another dragged on his leg. In a rage, he swung up and down with his scythe, decapitating both animals in the same, horrible attack. Kimimaro shrank a ways, reliving parts of his past, and Hinata felt bad for him for a moment. However, she couldn't stay in her mind for too long, nor in the minds of her teammates. Whipping up her shotgun, she began peppering the crowd with bullets, staying the attack. Lee was already on the defensive, using two long, keen knives he had brought along like a windmill. He was much faster than Hinata had anticipated. It was almost as if a green blur was among the throng. It was there...then here...then there again. Everywhere it went, death followed. The creatures couldn't seem to actually get a bead on him.

Soon, the group tired. Clustering again, they watched the animals prowl around some more. The majority of dead creatures was in a line...almost as if a barrier were erected around the East side of the building.

"What are...they doing?" Kiba and Akamaru took a step forward, eying them. Hinata was still catching her breath, so Kimimaro answered.

"They are waiting, apparently." Hidan gripped his scythe, glaring at the beasts.

"Waiting for what? For a fucking bell to ring?" Lee interjected with his own ideas.

"Perhaps they wait for the bell to toll. Whom does the bell toll? It tolls for thee." Hidan's eye twitched slightly as he turned.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Shut up!" Both turned to the girl, who was still busy trying to concoct a plan. "Kimimaro...an entrance into the building, please." The man nodded, turning. His arm became hard and steel-like, and it plunged into the metal of the building, the aluminum siding giving way with a horrendous grinding sound. Another arm soon followed, and in no time at all, a large entrance in the side of the building was created.

"Here you are." Retracting his arms, Kimimaro stepped through the aperture, followed closely by the others. Inside, Hidan grunted, walking about.

"What the hell? This is nothing but an empty god damn building! What the fuck is up with that?" He glared over at Hinata, who was busy trying to decipher what was happening. "Great job, Ms. Leader. You got us into a real cluster fuck!" She glared over at him, her hand coming up.

"Say something else...please." Realizing he was dangerously close to creating a bad situation, he shut up, turning to sulk into a corner.

"Hey...do you guys smell that?" Kiba was on the ground, sniffing at the flooring.

"Smell what?" Kimimaro walked over, watching the boy and dog on the ground, sniffing and peering around.

"Smell's like...blood." He was still sniffing around, though he was walking towards the Western wall.

"Of course it smell's like blood, you stupid idiot! There are dead things all around us! Why wouldn't it smell like fuckin' blood?!" Hidan was at his limit. His grip on the scythe was like steel, and he advanced on a crate, slicing it open. "Stupid damn crate!"

"No...wait. Hold on, what's this?" Kiba sniffed around a small button on the ground, almost completely concealed in the dark atmosphere. Pressing it, he shot back as a whoosh sounded from below. Scrambling backwards, he gazed up at an elevator that shot from below the ground, opening with a clank. It looked rickety at best, but nothing else seemed to be favored at the moment. Stepping into it, Hinata looked back at her cohorts, who were still unsure as to the obvious construction of the device.

"Well? We have nothing else to do." Kimimaro merely shrugged, walking into the elevator. Lee and Kiba were next, leaving Hidan outside. He grumbled as he picked up his scythe.

"Don't know where the fuck that thing goes. Why the hell should I get on it?" Hinata glared over.

"Because I am the leader, and what I say goes. If you like, we can leave you here. No telling when those animals will come through that hole. They looked hungry to. Perhaps you could feed them, eh Hidan?" With a sneer, Hidan lifted his scythe, placing it on his back and stepping into the elevator.

"This is pure bullshit...you guys know that right?" No one said a thing as the elevator door closed, sending them into a world of darkness. They could feel the elevator moving downwards, the G-force pressing on them slightly.

"Do we know where this leads?" Kiba glanced over to where he could smell Hinata, because he really couldn't see her.

"No, I don't know where this leads to, Kiba. But, it should lead to our target...which is why we are going with it." Kiba nodded, gulping.

"I've never...actually...been in a fight before."

"What the fuck? You've never fought before? Fucking great!" A slap resounded out through the cramped elevator. "Ow! Damn it!" A hand draped itself across the boy's shoulders, and a soothing voice echoed in his ear.

"Just stay close to me, Kiba. I'll protect you. I swear it." He sighed, smiling.

"Thanks, Hinata. That's...comforting." An angrier voice answered him back.

"Hinata? I'm Lee." Balking slightly, Kiba back-stepped quickly, laughter resounding in his ears.

"...Shut up..." The elevator was quiet for a time, the motion still carrying them downwards. A small movement and a hushed sigh from Hidan startled Hinata out of the stillness.

"What is it, Hidan?" His voice echoed back to her a moment later.

"I was just thinkin'. You know those fuckin' turrets on the outside of the building? Why the fuck would they not fire at us? They were sittin' right the fuck there!" Hinata scratched her chin, but Kimimaro answered first.

"Perhaps...someone is waiting for us?" Hidan scoffed.

"Right. Well, if that's the case, then this whole fucking thing is one big stupid ass trap!" Suddenly, the elevator lurched forward. Hinata checked her fire-arm in the dim light, then glanced up.

"Alright, everyone. Let's do this!" They nodded, each of them adjusting themselves for the battle ahead. The door opened, and they piled out. The first sight they met made them gawk. Hinata took a step forward, looking down. Gripping the hand-rail of the high passage, she stumbled on her words.

"I...I don't...don't believe it..." Kimimaro grunted, walking forward to join her.

"It seems that Orochimaru has been...quite busy lately." Lee took a step forward to join them.

"Yes...so he has." Akamaru yipped slightly, and Kiba shushed him. Hidan was still trying to whip off his scythe for use, stepping forward.

"Hey! What are you fuckers looking at..." Then, he shut his mouth, staring down. Underneath the earth, nearly a mile below the sun, Orochimaru had done the impossible. He had built an underground city, complete with buildings, streets, cars...and most importantly...people.

Each of them infected with the O-Virus.

A whole city of mindless slaves...

And at that time...most were looking up in the direction of the five, and feeling an insane hunger that issued from the depths of their beings.

"This...is incredible!" Hinata gazed around at the city, the sights and smells intruding upon her senses. True, the smell of death was pungent here. However, it was as if a normal city were erected on the spot.

"Ah! Visitors! Company! I do sincerely like guests!" The group gasped as one, searching around. A finger pointed up as Kimimaro gave away the source of the voice...a small speaker set into the ceiling above them. "Yes, guests are lovely. However, I am afraid that you can't stay."

"Orochimaru! You bastard!" Hidan gripped his scythe, pointing up at the speaker. "Come out and face us like a man!" The area was quiet for a moment, until a screeching laugh was heard out over the silence.

"Kukuku...No, I think not...Hidan." Hinata gasped inwardly. He knew about Hidan?

"Orochimaru! You are under arrest! Come out this minute!" She glared up at the speaker, which began to talk once more.

"Ah! Hinata Hyuuga. Pleasantly surprised am I. No doubt here for your precious boyfriend, hm? Well, he is likewise indisposed of at the moment. It seems that he has found...er, how to say this. I suppose he has found better entertainment than you provided." Hinata staggered slightly. What was that supposed to mean? "So, I am afraid that I cannot justify you being here. However, I'm sure my city will be more than sufficient to keep you entertained." A screech again. This time, more mechanical. A monitor dropped from the ceiling on the platform they stood on, and Orochimaru's grinning face greeted them. "Yes, I believe that some entertainment is in order. I believe you will find my little paradise under the Earth to be quite hospital. Oh yes, very hospitable indeed!" The screen turned, facing the throngs that were gathering, their faces already twisted and contorted. "Show my guests out, won't you? Oh, and if you eat them? Well, that's fine to." A howl sounded out from below, and a rampage of creatures began milling towards them. Some began mindlessly throwing themselves against the wall. However, some actually began going to the staircase entrances, using the stairs to come at them from both sides of the platform. As the group readied for combat, Hidan grinned, gripping his scythe as he stared at the mindless, hulking horde of undead.

"Cool! Dead things that I can kill...again!"

* * *

Next Time: Can Hinata, Lee, Kiba, Kimimaro, and Hidan fight their way through an entire city of undead creatures? Can they reach their objective on the other side? The group finds itself in a quandry...as they are split up to face their dooms! 

A/N: I would like to say thank you to everyone who has favorited and alerted this. You all are so very wonderful. As another note, since I have over 50 favorites, the chapters will now be longer! Better! With 50 percent more Hidan! Well, ok, maybe not. But...you get the point! At 100, if I ever get that far, you will get a super awesome thank you! HURRAY!


	33. Split Group Soup

* * *

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 2: The Hearts That Burn**

**Chapter 5: Split Group Soup**

"Watch it on the left!" Hinata turned, leveling a shell into the monster's face as yet another living dead person sought to bite into her arm.

"Damn it, these things just won't quit, will they?" Hidan said, almost gleefully. His scythe was working overtime, chopping up, down, and across. Another monster lay beheaded and gutted, and he barely made eye contact with it as he sliced through another. By now, the group had gotten themselves deep within the underground city. Already, Hinata thought that it would take forever to figure out how to get out again. But before they could safely leave, they had to find Orochimaru...and, if possible...

"Hey! Hinata, watch it!" She blinked. Her weapon was pointed at Kiba's head, and the boy was watching her with fear.

"Oh. Sorry, Kiba. Oh! Duck!" The boy did as told, and the shotgun went off a few inches above his head. Another groan, and a spurt of blood from behind. The creature clawed its chest for a moment before Kiba's own hand weapon finished it. "Sorry, are you alright Kiba?"

"Yeah, never better." Standing, the boy began pouring fire from his weapon into the crowd of shambling mamlucks.

"Methinks we must find a way away from this predictament. Forsooth, I do believe that we will join those on the ground, yes?" Lee dodged a hairy hand, coming up underneath and slicing the arm away. Another quick stab of his knife took his quarry down. Of course, there were plenty left to fill in the gap.

"Right, Lee. Ok, let's turn down this alley and get away from here. Hopefully, we can find a way to the laboratory area. I'm sure that's where Orochimaru is. He's gotta be there." Turning and running down the passage, Hinata felt the others behind her. Turning down another road, she saw a fire escape hanging from the side of a building. Grabbing a hold, she began climbing, reaching down and helping Kiba up. As acrobatic as ever, Lee merely catapulted himself up to the next level. Hooking his scythe into the ladder, Hidan gracefully swung himself up, catching a hand on a rung and hanging on. Kimimaro stood on the ground, covering the escape. Looking down, Hinata gasped.

"Kimimaro! Come on!" The man turned to look at her, than smiled.

"Go. I'll hold them off for a while. Go!" His arms rent themselves into two large, lethal looking swords. With a laugh, he plunged them into the heads of two of the foremost undead. By now, the attention of the mass of packed creatures was on him, leaving the other four out of the immediate danger zone. Seeing this, Kimimaro turned, running down street. His hands became fingers and palms again, and he lay one out flat, holding it in front of him. "Back to hell, you creatures of malice." His fingers seemed to dwindle in on themselves...and small, bony projectiles flew from his digits. The creatures went down in droves, as the bony bullets ripped and tore through the packed crowds.

Hinata gave the scene another glance, fascinated with the attack. "Hey! Ms. Brilliant Bitch! Get moving, huh? We don't got all day here, you know!" Hinata blinked, realizing that they were still in a precarious situation. Nodding, she began running up the length of the fire exit, each staircase and each level gained like another roadblock from death.

Reaching the height of the building, she glanced down. She couldn't see Kimimaro anymore. Nor could she see the undead that had been chasing him. Lee and Hidan were the first to make it to the top, with Kiba close behind, Akamaru clinging to his head. "I hope Kimimaro is alright," Hinata said, almost to herself. Hidan scowled, glaring at her.

"Who cares. The fuck knew what he had coming if he stayed down there. Now, let's get somewhere. This is a little to far out in the open." Lee nodded his approval of the plan, and Kiba glanced down at the street.

"A long way down, huh Akamaru?" The dog yipped down at him from atop his head, and Kiba smiled. "Yeah, it would hurt."

Hinata glanced around from where they stood on the roof. Seeing a small entrance door on the other side, she ran to it, grabbing hold of the doorknob and twisting it. The door opened, allowing her a view of the inside. "Alright, the coast is clear. Let's go." She went in first, shotgun raised and ready. Lee allowed Kiba in first before him, taking out his knife and holding it in a ready stance. Hidan took another look around the top of the building, snorting in distaste.

"Man, this place is shit, you know?"

"Hidan! Come on, we have no time to lose!"

"Yeah yeah...I'm comin'. Geez, hold your fucking horses." He turned, grabbing the doorknob to pull it back and make good their escape...when a slimy projection wrapped around his stomach. "What the fuck?" His body flung backwards, and he landed heavily on the cement of the roof. Glaring up, his eyes met that of a licker, its lean, lithe body covered in large, red sores and pus-filled cavities. "You son-of-a-bitch! Let me go, you fucker!" His scythe swung up, but the beast merely moved its head slightly, causing the scythe to fly uselessly from Hidan's grasp. By now, the others had come back to check on him. Hinata saw him first. She pounded up the remaining steps, her hands flying to her weapon.

"Hidan!" Her weapon came up, and she aimed. The trigger depressed, and the explosion rang out. However, when the cloud of smoke had cleared, a large dent, with the bullet in the center, stood out on the rooftop door. Hinata gasped, getting up and trying the doorknob. "Hidan! Hidan!" The door wouldn't budge. Throwing her weight against it, she tried forcefully opening the portal, but to no avail. A tear crept from her eyes as the scene of Hidan underneath the monster replayed in her mind. "Oh...Hidan..."

"Hinata? Hey, Hidan's a fighter. He's a bastard to...but a fighter too, you know? He'll be fine. I promise!" Kiba smiled at her, kneeling and helping to pick her up off the floor. She sniffed, rubbing a hand against her nose and smiling back.

"Yeah...sure, he'll be fine. Right..." Picking up her weapon again, she sighed. "Come on, you guys, let's finish this for good." The three ran down the steps, to face whatever came their way.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the rooftop, Hidan was having his own problems. He dodged to the left, barely avoiding the raking claws as the licker repositioned itself, getting into a crouch. "Oh, so you want some more, huh? Alright then! Bring it on, you mother fucker!" The creature hissed, bringing its head back and lashing out with its tongue. Hidan grimaced as its tongue wrapped around his throat, and he was yanked off his feet. With a cry, his head plowed into its open maw, and he felt its teeth close around his upper back and stomach. Flinching slightly, Hidan strove to stand, and he finally did, the licker stuck to his upper body like an extension. He was having difficulty moving, as the creature was frantically biting down harder and harder, its long, four inch teeth sinking in deeper. "You...bastard! Let...me...GO!" Throwing caution to the winds, Hidan made a mad dash, realizing his mistake too late as his footing left the roof and he found himself cascading into open air. Down and down the duo plunged, the licker beginning to make a soft moan in Hidan's face as it felt the air whooshing by. Hidan made his body flip slightly, getting one good hand on the creature's tongue's base, the other holding the things neck from the outside. A loud bang, followed by extreme pain around his torso as the creature bit down harder, made Hidan see stars for a moment. Suddenly, light penetrated his vision, and wriggled free, the creature much less alive. Its body had been smashed in the fall, leaving it misshapen and mangled. Hidan smiled down at it, kicking it slightly for emphasis as his body continued to bleed slightly.

"Yeah! Got you, didn't I, you fucker! I bet you won't mess with me again, huh? Fuck you!" He kicked it again, and it twisted slightly. Jumping back in response, Hidan waited. The creature was very much dead, so he didn't have much to worry about. "Well, guess I should figure out another way in this place." Turning, he began on his path to find his scythe. However, he hadn't counted on the fact that he had many onlookers now who had enjoyed the show...and hoped that he hadn't died...just yet, anyways. "Oh...what are you fuckers looking at, huh? Never seen a guy bleeding before? You heathen sons-of-bitches!" All that greeted his salutations was a roar and a variety of grunts. Turning, the man took to his feet, pounding out a rhythm on the ground as a horde of monsters ran behind him. "Wherever you are, Hinata...Fuck you!"

* * *

Hinata and her two remaining companions were having their own difficulty. They had unwittingly stumbled into the laboratory of Orochimaru. However, the path was littered with dangers. Orochimaru had taken ample time to set up security within the confines of his city. Hinata caught her breath, chancing a look out into the hallway. Another blast of a cannon shot her face full of plaster, and she ducked again, gripping her shotgun. "Damn...this is going...to be hard..."

"Allow me, my princess. I shall vanquish thy foes as they come." With that, Lee disappeared suddenly. Hinata held her breath, holding a protective hand over Kiba, who was sitting next to her. All that greeted their hearing was rending and tearing. Grunts and groans from down the hallway indicated more undead soldiers were on the way. Hoping the coast was clear, Hinata dove into the hallway, blasting down the passage. A creature's leg was blown away, and it tumbled messily to the ground. A follow up shot splattered gray matter on the wall. Three more turned their sights on her, shambling forward, mouths dripping with malice. Kiba stood, walking out into the hallway. Hinata's eyes went wide as the boy lifted his weapon. Three shots were fired, each finding its mark. The three went down without another sound.

"K...Kiba?" The boy turned, smiling.

"Well, I figure that I should probably start acting like an assassin or something. Turns out I'm a pretty good shot, huh Akamaru?" The dog yipped down at him, and Kiba smiled. "Thanks!"

"That is it, methinks. The foe has been vanquished, but tarry here we should not." Lee held out a hand for them to follow, the two nodding and taking his advice. The turrets were all ripped away from their posts, electric discharge sizzling away from them. The three went down the hall, taking a left and pounding down towards the laboratory...or what they hoped was the laboratory. Seeing a side-room, Kiba stopped.

"Guys, I'll check this place out. You two go on ahead." Hinata stopped, turning.

"Kiba, we need to stay together here. Come on."

"No, it's alright. Besides, me and Akamaru here will be able to smell you. We'll find you, don't worry." Hinata looked non-plussed, staring at the boy and dog as they stood, smiling back. Lee took her arm, nodding.

"Right. Good luck go with you, Kiba. Milady, come. We have bigger fish to smoke..."

"It's fry, Lee."

"I do not like fried fish, Hinata. Come." The boy turned, beginning to run down the hall again. Hinata sighed, looking at Kiba one last time.

"Be careful, Kiba. Hurry and catch up." Kiba smiled, nodding.

"Right! You be careful, too." Hinata smiled back, a tear beginning to show. Turning, she ran down the hall towards the direction Lee took, leaving Kiba and Akamaru. The boy looked up, the dog looking down.

"Alright, Akamaru. Let's do this." The dog yipped slightly, and the duo entered the room. Kiba glanced about, noting the records and disks on the walls. "So, this is the recording studio, huh? Interesting. Alright, Akamaru. We need to find that disk. Go to work!" The dog hopped from his head, hitting the ground and beginning its search. Walking to the wall, Kiba began sorting and sifting through the records, throwing them on the ground with disgust whenever he found one that didn't suit his fancy. Taking one, he scratched his head. "Huh...Experiment 2B, huh? Let's see..." Walking to the input device, he inserted the disk, going back to see the output on the monitor. The screen jumped from black to a display. Four scientists working in a lab, all hunched over a multitude of beakers and test tubes.

_It seems superlative to the results of this mission. Scientists from all over the globe have begun work on my creation. I shall call it...the O-Virus, aptly named for me, of course..._

"It's Orochimaru talking? This must be a recording of the project, Akamaru."

_Genetic testing has proven reasonable thus far. As of late, only four-hundred and ninety seven experimental vessels have proven unreliable as a holder of the O-Virus. More testing is needed before it can be used in clinical trials. However, and this is an interesting fact. Scientists B and R have studied the effects of a certain gene carried in the human body. This gene they have named the X-factor for the virus. In it lies the secret to manipulation of the human chromosome. So, in summation, by tweaking this gene slightly, we see an overlying factor in the study of human research as it pertains to the O-Virus. How can this gene be manipulated in a way that services mankind? _

"More like your own needs. What a loser..." Kiba muttered under his breath.

_It turns out that this gene can be mutated upon. Yes, one can twist this gene through a slight process. The O-Virus is that process. Through the loss of this gene, we see the ability to control the human mind, and therefore the human body. It still retains the ability to live, function, and act out normal life ability. However, the virus implants a sense of all-being purpose into human patients. The one who has pressed his own genes into service for use with the O-Virus becomes the master to a generation of slaves. In clinical trials, even infants can be taught to do complex equations and arithmatic. What their brains cannot do at that period of evolution, their bodies can be told to do. It is not the infant acting out of accord with its limited brain capacity, but the capacity of the body to follow rules. _

"Man...this guy is sick, huh Akamaru?" All the boy got was a whine.

_An antidote for those affected is forthcoming at the present time. As far as I am too ascertain, one is not readily available for those who have been infected. This is grand news, for this means that I will be in control of the population once my gift is spread. The world shall bow to me, and in return...the world shall have peace._

The recording ended there. Taking the ejected disc from the player, Kiba smiled, placing it into his bag. "I'm sure that he'll like to see this!"

"I'm sure whoever you're talking about would. However, you're not getting out of here alive, brat." Kiba's eyes widened at the voice, and he turned. Jirobo stood in his way, blocking the door. "A pity. I wanted to watch my movie again. Now...I'll have to actually do some work. What a shame. Hahaha!"

* * *

"Here, my princess! Down here!" Taking another left, Lee and Hinata continued their pursuit farther into the complex. Hinata turned slightly, wishing that Kiba would hurry up. Taking another left, Lee froze, Hinata colliding into the back of him.

"Lee...what..." Looking forward, she gasped.

"Why so glum looking? Come to play? Good." Kidomaru smiled at them from the end of the hallway, flexing all four arms. Lee grit his teeth, turning and pushing Hinata to the right. Slamming his hand onto the door mechanism, Lee shut the door, punching the control for good measure. Through the small window, Hinata shouted at him, banging on the metal of the portal.

"Lee! Lee!"

"Go, Hinata. I shall take care of this one myself. Find the Uchiha. Stop him and Orochimaru. I shall catch you up shortly, yes?" Hinata stopped her pounding, watching him with tearing eyes.

"Lee...Lee..."

"I will be fine, princess. Go..."

"Yeah, fine is not exactly what I would say. How about...dead!" With a laugh, the monster threw himself forward, tackling Lee to the ground and rolling them out of Hinata's view. She took a breath, than another.

"Alright...my entire squad is gone. This...isn't good." Turning, she began walking down the hallway. Glancing this way and that, and being undecided as to what to do, she sighed. "Now what? Do I go this way? Or that? Where am I?"

"It doesn't matter where you are, whore." She blinked, turning her head slightly. Tayuya smiled, watching her with the prowess of a cat. "Oh, what's the matter, huh? Little Hinata lost her boyfriend? Well, don't you worry about that. I've been taking real good care of him." Hinata blinked once more, unable to process Tayuya's words. "Oh, didn't understand me? Well then, let me make it perfectly clear for you, princess. I...fucked...his...brains...out! I gave him what you were always too prudish to give." Hinata glared, standing up. Her shotgun came up, leveling itself. "Oh, what? You gonna shoot me now? Little girl Hinata, shooting Sasuke-kun's new lover? Huh, don't make me laugh." Hinata quivered, her hands barely holding the shotgun up.

"You...bitch..."

"What? Oh, you're still angry, huh? Well, don't worry much about it. He told me all about you." Hinata stopped, her gun lowering slightly.

"He...he did?"

"Oh yeah. Told me everything. Like, how you were too stupid to realize that you could have had him. Or, how he stuck you like a shish-ka-bob on that sword of his. By the way, princess. That sword? Yeah...he's got much longer weapons at his disposal...if you know what I mean. Too bad you didn't let him show you. He's a warrior in bed too...and he never fails a mission. Hahaha!" Hinata didn't move. Nor did she say anything for a time. She allowed the insults to hang in the air for the moment. "What's this? Cat got your tongue? You'll never be anything more than a scared, stupid, little girl. Why don't you run back home to your mommy, huh? Oh, I forgot. She's dead. Everyone's dead. Sorry."

"Shut up. Just shut up."

"Tell me something, Hinata. Tell me how it feels to have your greatest love stab you in the back...literally?"

"Shut up, I said."

"Or, tell me how it feels to know that everyone you came on this stupid mission with is dead to? Oh yeah, they're all dead. That Lee kid? I bet that Kidomaru is just pulling his arms out of their sockets now."

"I said shut up!"

"Or that stupid Kiba guy. Jirobo is probably picking his teeth with that dog of his. He wasn't much more than a snack, anyways."

"Where is Sasuke?"

"Huh? What? Couldn't quite hear you. Speak louder."

"Where...is...Sasuke?"

"Oh? Sasuke? Right about now...he's probably waiting for me in his room. I do hate to keep him waiting. He's...always on time. What is it? Four now? Yeah, by four ten, he's usually got me on the bed. So, let's hurry this up, huh? Wouldn't want to keep MY Sasuke-kun waiting, hm?" With another laugh, Tayuya flung herself at the much smaller girl. A hand came up, connecting with her chin and forcing her head up. That same hand grasped her neck, pulling her down. Tayuya gasped for air, coming face to face with Hinata. Her eyes burned with fury, and she pulled the red-haired girl in closer.

"I'm going to rip your tongue out. Then, I'm going to stop your heart from beating. Then, I'm going to wipe the floor with you. Perhaps I'll let you die afterward. I highly doubt it." It was then that Tayuya realized...

Perhaps she had said too much...

* * *

Next Chapter: Hinata's ire has picked up, and the room is about to crumble from this catfight of the century. Meanwhile, Kiba has to hold his own in an all out brawl against the hulking Jirobo. Kimimaro makes a stunning discovery, while Hidan gives the city the run-around. Can the team hold their own against these genetic monstrosoties? Or will Orochimaru eventually succeed?

Next Chapter: Human Resources


	34. Human Resources

* * *

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 2: The Hearts That Burn**

**Chapter 6: Human Resources**

* * *

Having found himself at the end of the line, Kimimaro glanced about anxiously. He had lost the raving mass of lunatic creatures behind him, but now, he was confronted with a wall that seemed impossible to cross. Could he have taken a wrong turn? He didn't know much about Orochimaru or how he operated, but he did know that if he turned and went back the way he came, he would eventually run back into the pack, and that wouldn't be pretty.

"Hmm...there seems to be no way out of this maze. I wonder..." Pressing a hand to the wall of the alleyway in front of him, he began to search. Orochimaru had always been one to create small spaces behind things, escape routes that he could run to...like the coward he truly was. However, the wall in front of him seemed to be just that...a wall. No lever, no hidden space. Nothing at all. With a sigh, the man gave up, turning around to begin the process of fighting his way back to another area. However, before he took four steps, something ground down behind him, as though a hidden mechanism that needed to be oiled was turning. Switching positions quickly, Kimimaro shot a glance behind him as a part of the wall on his left began to slide out and over.

Thinking quickly, the man dove behind a trash can, watching anxiously as three workers exited the wall. One turned, stopping only to press a single, red brick. The wall began to move back, and the three watched as it slid back into place.

"Orochimaru-sama wants an update on the whereabouts of the fugitives," one began. He was holding a notebook, and was scribbling something down. Kimimaro couldn't exactly read hand-writing from afar, but he could listen...and without the knowledge that someone was near-by, the three began to discuss affairs.

"So...do you guys think this project will really succeed?" The same man.

The one on the right smiled, showing curved teeth that seemed to have been filed to points. "No way. He can't possibly turn the whole world into mindless zombies. It's impossible." The one on the left clucked his teeth, shaking his head to belay the remark.

"Orochimaru-sama knows exactly what he's doing. Don't question his authority...you may end up becoming a snack. Remember Tao-Su? He questioned Orochimaru too. Look what happened to him."

"Right. Fed to that pack of...things! I'm telling you right now, if this wasn't such good money, I'd have quit long ago." The one with the clipboard began to jot down a note or two, and the man on his right turned. "Hey...what are you writing?"

"Oh...me? Nothing. Just notes." The man blinked, then snarled, grabbing at the clipboard. After a brief tussle, he managed to snag it away.

"Notes? Notes! You're writing down everything I'm saying, you son-of-a-bitch! What are you gonna do, tell on me?"

"Orochimaru-sama is not to be trifled with. Your insubordination won't go unpunished!" With a yell, the man threw himself at the one who had held the clipboard, punching him in the face and sending blood flying to the ground.

"You bastard! You'd rat me out, huh? I'll just have to kill you! Feed you to them! That way, no one will know!"

"Hey...guys...let's not fight, huh? There's enough of that. Come on...stop..." However, the two weren't to be pacified. Rolling on the ground, punching, kicking, and scraping at one another. The one who wished to stay out of the fighting grit his teeth, twiddling his hands nervously as he watched the fight. "Come on, guys...enough, huh?"

"It'll be enough when he's dead!"

"I was about to say that myself!" The antagonist of the situation threw his legs up, sending the other flying away. Kimimaro's eyes went wide as the man crashed into the garbage can next to him, struggling to rise once more. The other stood shakily, spitting blood onto the ground from where one of his teeth had fallen out. "Got you, you bitch! Now...to finish it!" Turning, he ran to a garbage can on the opposite side of the alley, digging around.

The man who had been thrown off was regaining his senses. Kimimaro watched him as he shook his head, willing the fuzziness away. Upon seeing Kimimaro, however, his eyes went wide, and his jaw slacked off. "Hey...you ain't one of those things. You're...one of them! Shit!" A punch to the side of the head laid him out cold.

"No use whining! You started this, I'm ending it!" A trashcan flew past Kimimaro as the other man trudged in, hoping to catch the one who was going to betray him off guard. However, he saw Kimimaro too late. "Hey...what the hell? Arrrgg!" Thinking quickly, Kimimaro had cut off his cry, slamming his hand, now shaped as a large, flat-bladed sword, directly into his throat. With a gurgle, the man fell to the ground, clutching his gaping wound before succumbing to the blackness of death. The other trembled as Kimimaro rose from his hiding place, taking time to grab the other scientist and haul him out with him.

"Now...you will tell me what I want to know. Otherwise, you will not live to see tomorrow." The man cowered as Kimimaro dropped the other. With a grunt, the unconscious scientist hit the ground. The fearful one began to cower even more, backing away slowly.

"I...I will...will never betray...Orochimaru-sama!" He steadied himself, turning to the side and grabbing the pipe that the other man had dropped. "I'll...I'll fight you! I...I..."

Kimimaro merely smiled. Raising a foot, he smashed it down onto the man on the ground, who flailed for a moment before going limp, a puddle of blood surrounding his crushed cerebrum. "A pity. I suppose that I shall have to just kill you then." The pale man's hand came up, and his fingers began to form small divots. He was just about to fire when the scientist lost his nerve, dropping the pipe from shaking hands and dropping to the ground, groveling.

"Please! Please don't! I...I don't want to die!" Roughly, Kimimaro hauled the man up, slapping him across the face.

"Shut up! If you scream anymore, I will slice your throat!" Immediately, the man quieted. "Good. Now, you will show me the entrance you and your friends just used. Now!" Flinging him backwards, Kimimaro waited until the scientist could get his composure back. Still shaking visibly, the man turned to the wall, walking up and pressing a brick. Another grinding sound etched itself into the scene, and the wall popped out, sliding back as the secret entrance was again revealed.

"The...there you...you go. Now...please...let me go..." However, Kimimaro had other ideas. Grabbing the man by his lab coat, he frog-marched him into the passageway.

"I need someone to show me around. Think of it as...a tour. Now, close the door!" Nodding dumbly, the scientist slammed his hand into the button on the wall. Fluorescent lighting illuminated the previously dim atmosphere, and the wall moved back into position, slamming closed once more. Kicking the man in front of him, Kimimaro placed his arm up, turning it into something resembling a large, curved katana. "Good. Now...move!"

* * *

Hidan took another right, failing to realize that three rights make a left. Smiling to himself, he looked back, noticing that he had finally lost sight of any of the monsters. "Well well! Making progress now! Fucking about time!" However, looking backwards constitutes error, and as he was running, he slammed even harder into something in front of him. Cursing under his breath and trying to regain his composure, he glanced up from his position on the ground, sighing as ten pairs of dead, blue eyes watched him. "Fucking great..." His scythe was already in hand, flying up and lopping off the first creature's head. As they began to moan for his blood, he back-rolled, his scythe coming up and disemboweling another. As he stood, he finished the creature off with a well-timed swipe. "Alright. Just nine of you fuckers left! Let's do this!"

A growl from behind made him grit his teeth harder. Turning slightly, he saw he was confronted by a pack of dogs, each one mangier than the last. The lead canine growled, hackles rising as bloody froth foamed from its mouth. Backing himself to a wall, Hidan gripped his scythe, glaring around at the creatures assembled.

Now, Hidan had two choices. He could continue to run, as he had been doing for the past two hours. He had dodged all that had come his way, even killing a few on his random route. He could go on running for at least another hour, if not more. However, he was tired of running. Sick and tired of running away from things that he didn't give a shit about. So...he went with option number two. "Alright, you fuckers. Game time! I'll send all of you to the great Jashin...and he'll send you all straight to hell!" With a maniacal laugh, he threw himself into the fray.

In less than a minute, his body was already coated with blood!

* * *

Lee hit the wall with a stunning force. As he smashed into the ground from where Kidomaru had tossed him almost effortlessly, he huffed. Already, he could feel the bruises and cuts that were beginning to tell on his body.

"What's the matter? Had enough already? You weren't even a challenge!" Kidomaru watched from the other side of the room, standing on a half-smashed chair as Lee shook himself, steading his body against the wall and rising back to his feet. Lifting the chair, the four-armed menace smiled, throwing it with shattering force. Lee had barely enough time to dodge the impact as the wooden object shattered against the wall. "Come on! I wanted more of a challenge! This isn't even fun anymore!"

"A challenge, you say? Methinks that I can give thee something of that sort." Wavering slightly, Lee extracted his long knives, putting them into a defensive position. Kidomaru smiled, reaching behind his back to pull his own wickedly curved blades from their positions.

"Good. Now, the fun can really begin!" With a shout and a roar, the man threw himself forward, slicing downwards. Lee blocked, coming up and catching the blades on his own. As they jostled to overthrow one another, Kidomaru leaned down, so that his face almost touched the younger boys. "You know what, kid? When I'm done with you, I'm gonna find that bitch of yours. Oh yeah. Four arms means double the pleasure. I'll have her screaming my name out loud before I rip her pretty little head off!" A knee came up, smashing into Lee's torso. Doubling over, he tried to catch his breath, only to have a fist bash him in the cheek, sending him sprawling to the side. One of his knives clattered to the floor, and Kimimaro smiled as he picked it up, now wielding three weapons. "I'll take that other knife, kid. Then, I'll really be armed and dangerous." Rushing forward, the man brought all three weapons down, intending to end the fight early.

As Lee knelt on the ground, wishing with all his might to have his breath return to him, his thoughts lingered on Hinata. He had told her that he would protect her. He had told her that he was her knight. He had told her...that she wouldn't have to worry about her own protection while he was around. But, here he was, lying on the ground, about to be destroyed. Who knows what had happened to his princess. She was gone...possibly forever. He couldn't even defend himself. How could he think that he could defend anyone else?

As the weapons sliced the air, he could think of only one thing. He had let down Hinata. He had let down his friends. He had let down...himself.

"Time to die!" Kidomaru yelled, his blades now arcing down beautifully. Then...something unexpected happened. Lee turned, and his feet and hands came up. Slapping his arms together, he forced the thin metal of Kidomaru's own blades together, stopping their downward path. His feet flew up as well, catching his own blade in a vice grip. As Kidomaru snarled, trying to extract his weapons, Lee twisted once more, snagging his blade back. In the same move, he allowed the two swords to continue their path, though he was quite out of the way. The sharp metal slammed into the flooring, embedding them six inches deep, so powerful was Kidomaru's downward thrust. With another sweeping gesture, Lee swung his blade, smiling at the impact. Kidomaru howled, leaving his blades embedded as he took a step back...gazing sickeningly at the stump where his upper left arm had been. Crimson liquid dripped from the wound, and he turned his attention back to the boy in front of him. "My arm! What the hell did you do to my arm!"

Lee merely smiled, both weapons now back in his control. "I have merely evened my odds, my dear fellow. Now, shall we try that again? Perhaps another attack will see me the victor?" However, even he could tell his words were empty and hollow. Quietly, he counted broken ribs and fractured bones. In all, his lower ribs, two sets on either side, were snapped in the middle. If he continued to fight as he had been, he had no guarantee that he would survive long enough to win. Of course, stranger things had happened. Just look at where he was now. Fighting a monster in the bowels of hell. If someone had told him a year ago that that was where he would be...he would have laughed outright at them.

Truth be told...he wasn't laughing much anymore.

* * *

Jirobo smiled, blocking the exit of the archive room. Kiba glanced about, trying to find another escape route. There was none.

"Don't even bother, kid. You ain't gettin' out of here alive. Just...come on quietly. Maybe I'll just break your neck. It'll be real painless like, got it?" Jirobo smiled wider, taking a step into the room. Kiba turned, noting the glass window pane behind him. "Don't bother, kid. I've been watching all the security tapes since you and your little team got here. I already know that you can't fight worth a crap. So let's just cut the crap here."

"Hn." Turning back to the hulking behemoth, Kiba crouched, putting his fists up. "Apparently, you can't see a deceiving act when you see one."

Jirobo's eyes melted for a moment before they hardened back into diamonds. "Tsch. Who you think you're dealing with, kid? Don't take me for a sap." The man's fist rose into the air, and with a roar, he brought it down, smashing out a huge hole in the ground. Smiling maniacally, Jirobo extricated his hand, shaking it slightly. "There, see? One punch, and it'll be all over!"

Kiba smiled right back, nodding. "That's right. One punch. But!" Then, he stood, as if willingly giving up. "But first...you have to actually hit me!"

"Heh...this'll be easier than I thought!" With a yell, the man thundered towards the boy and dog. Kiba stood calmly, letting him get closer.

Then, he reached up, picking up his Akamaru and nodding to him. "Alright, Akamaru! Just like we practiced!" The small black-and-white dog yipped. "Good boy! Akamaru!" Like a football player going for the pass, Kiba chucked the animal straight forward, the dog spinning like said sports-item. "Akamaru! Dynamic Marking!" The dog yipped happily, and a steady stream of liquid exited his hind-leg area. Put off by the attack, Jirobo shouted out in surprise. He couldn't help but watch the animals forward momentum...which left his eyes wide open.

With a shout of pain, the monster buckled to a knee, brushing a hand across his face. "My eyes! My eyes! Damn you! My eyes! Your dog pissed in my eyes!" Hitting the wall, hind-legs first, Akamaru stopped, turning around and yipping. Kiba smiled right back at him.

"Good job, Akamaru!" Jirobo's vision blurred as he opened his left eye, squinting to get a better look. All he saw was a blob running towards him. "Lights out, big boy!" Kiba shouted, flipping around. His foot impacted solidly into the man's chin...and sent a crunching noise through his leg. With a shout of pain, Kiba hit the ground, rubbing ruefully at his injured digit. A back-hand sent him flying through the glass, smashing into it and leaving him on the opposite side of the room.

Still rubbing at his face, Jirobo grimaced, standing and walking forwards. "If you thought that was going to work on me, kid...think again! I'm gonna enjoy ripping you apart for what you did to me! Then, I'm gonna eat that dog of yours while I watch the security tapes of me ripping you apart!" Kiba glanced up fearfully as the behemoth gingerly stepped over the shattered edges of the glass window, lowering himself into the room adjacent. A quick glance told Kiba that this was an experimentation room. Bloody chains and test tables were set up. Machines clicked and beeped to his right, and a swinging light cast an eerie glow over the situation. "I'm gonna make you beg for mercy!" Eyes still hazy, Jirobo leant down, grabbing Kiba by the neck and raising him to face-height. "Now...scream!" His hold tightened, and Kiba felt his airway constrict. "Scream!" More and more the fist tightened its hold, and Kiba struggled vainly in the air, his lungs beginning to feel the deprivation of a lack of oxygen. "Scream!"

"Gurg...ach...ack!" Jirobo smiled, bringing Kiba's face in close.

"Any last words...dog boy?" Kiba groaned...then swung his foot. His uninjured foot. For a moment, time stood still, then Jirobo swayed slightly, dropping Kiba to the ground, where he anxiously caught his breath, massaging his neck. With a sharp pitched cry, Jirobo smashed into the ground, holding his groin. "Ow! My...my balls! Ow! Bastard! AHHHHH!!" In agony, the large man rocked back and forth, and Kiba merely smiled down at him.

"Now who's screaming?"

* * *

Tayuya howled, feeling the hair on her head being yanked out by the roots. Hanging on grimly, Hinata pulled harder, and as the hair gave, she stumbled backwards, ending up in a chair, staring at her hand which was full of red locks. Tayuya glared across, her hand feeling a moist spot on her head. Bringing her hand down, she grimaced at the crimson scarlet she saw there. "You...bitch!" With a sharp squeal, she launched herself at Hinata, who quickly pivoted. They collided, sending both women to the ground. A loud slap pierced the still air as Tayuya brought a back-hand across Hinata's cheek. "I'm gonna rip you another hole! The guys will be able to fuck your stomach after this!" Scratching out with one-inch nails, she raked her opponent's face, intending to blind her. Hinata turned at the last moment, feeling the nails scrape her skin. Pushing out with her legs, she sent the girl flying backwards. Her momentum was stopped by a chair, smashing it to pieces as her body collided with it.

"After I'm done with you, the guys will have to fuck your corpse!" Hinata yelled, jumping up and running across the room, her hands in front of her. Tayuya gasped, rolling back and bringing her own hands up. Swiftly, she caught Hinata's attack, holding her fists where they threatened to strike. For a moment, both women pushed and pulled, trying to break free to attack once more. Hinata could almost visualize laying Tayuya's face open, her blood spilling on the ground. Then...Tayuya did something completely unexpected.

Raising her face up, she smiled...and kissed the ebony-haired beauty on the lips. Hinata's eyes widened, but she couldn't break away from the kiss unless she broke her hold on Tayuya's hands. If she did that, Tayuya would have the advantage. Suddenly, she could feel a tongue lap at her own as Tayuya shoved her searching probe deep into Hinata's mouth. The feeling horrified her...as no one up to that point had ever done that to her. Instantly, she broke contact, wrenching back. Seizing the moment, Tayuya leant her head back, ramming it forcefully into Hinata's chin. The girl went backwards with a crash, landing on the floor and groaning as stars burst through her head.

"Hehehe. I could tell that that was your first kiss. You were lousy!" Tayuya said, mockingly. Hinata coughed, feeling bile rise in her throat. For some reason, the kiss wasn't the thing that had horrified her. It was that...Sasuke...had probably kissed those same lips. "Hmm...have you ever had a woman before, Hinata? Ever?" Immediately, Hinata felt her arms and legs pinned against her as Tayuya smiled down at where she held her constricted to the ground. "Come on, Hinata. Before you die, I'm gonna teach you that even a little shit like yourself can have a good go at things." Again, her lips came down, planting themselves on Hinata's. This time, Hinata had nowhere to run. Her head pinned against the floor, she could only gaze up at Tayuya as she pressed into her. Her tongue again came out, lapping at Hinata's lips and forcing itself into her mouth.

Hinata knew that it was a shameful position to be in. She was trying to kill this woman...not...make-out with her! What the hell was she doing? However, she couldn't...couldn't bring herself to bite down on the offending appendage, to deal physical harm to the woman who was now being more intimate with her than anyone had ever. She squeaked softly as Tayuya's hand made its way up to her shirt, unzipping it slightly. The leather came apart with a soft snap. Slowly, Tayuya's hand made its way up, rubbing itself along the crevice before wandering to one of Hinata's soft orbs. Hinata let out a soft squeal, and Tayuya smiled at her, groping harder. A bead of sweat trickled off of Hinata's forehead as Tayuya continued to lap playfully at her lips. Then, suddenly...it stopped. Tayuya's face rose up, searching Hinata's for any sign of remorse that she could use. "So...how was it?"

"I...I..." Hinata couldn't believe what was happening. Here she was, trying to finish off the woman that had taken her love from her...and she was being molested by that same woman. "I..."

"Feels good, doesn't it?" The red-head's hand continued to massage...and Hinata could feel something rise up in her. Something that she hadn't felt for a long time. "Want me to go for more?" Hinata's panting became faster as her eyes widened. She shouldn't...she couldn't...she wouldn't...

"N...no!" Tayuya smiled, lowering her chin down to Hinata's ear, lapping at the lobe playfully with her tongue.

"Well then...you'll just have to die!" Her position suddenly changed, and Hinata found herself staring directly at Tayuya's crotch...as her legs began to crush her neck like vice-grips.

* * *

They had walked for almost fifteen minutes, and they still hadn't gone anywhere. Kimimaro sighed, gazing about him as the scientist continued to lead him forward. "Where are we going?"

"You wished...wished to see Orochimaru...sama, yes? We're...we're going there," the man said in return. Boredly, Kimimaro glanced at the ceiling, squinting slightly at the lighting fixtures. Suddenly, the man stopped. Surprised slightly, Kimimaro faced forward, taking a quick glance around. "Why did we stop?"

"This...this is where...Orochimaru-sama is..." the man said nervously, pointing to a door in front of the duo. Kimimaro straightened his shoulders, pushing the man to the door.

"Open it!" His voice betrayed the anxiousness in his tone, and the man nodded, putting in a pass-code and opening the door.

"The...there you go...now...please...let me go..." Taking a step to the door, Kimimaro glanced about, noting that the lighting wasn't as good in that room.

"Very well. You may go." The man smiled, nodding and bowing.

"Th...thank you...sir..." However, his sentence ended in a yelp as he felt a hand on the back of his neck.

"I meant...you may go first!" Thrusting the man forward into the room, Kimimaro sat back as the scientist blundered into the darkness...setting off the multitude of traps that lay within. His screams were cut short by the sounds of hacking blades, trapdoors, and numerous weapons that clattered to the ground.

After a minute or so, Kimimaro took another look inside the room. The scientist's mangled body lay on the ground, his face forever planted in a look of horror. Kimimaro snorted slightly, walking through the room on his way forward. He had already made his skeletal structure as more of an exoskeleton, giving him a hard, protective layer of bone on the outside of his body. It would be more than adequate to deal with any traps that lay ahead.

"I wonder where this leads?" Kimimaro said to himself. Certainly a path that was that well booby-trapped would lead somewhere useful, correct? The lights flickered slightly on his left and right, and he gazed at them.

Soon, after another few minutes of walking down an endless corridor, he found himself at a door. Cautiously, he held up a hand, forming a small shield with which to defend himself. Pressing the same sequence of buttons he had seen the scientist use, he waited. Sure enough, the door slid open...and the only thing that Kimimaro felt at that moment was the heat.

The horrid, indescribable heat. Walking into the room on the other side of the door, Kimimaro turned his face slightly. The heat was almost unbearable. It was like a very hot, very dry sauna in the room. A faint, reddish glow on the opposite side of the room caught his attention. Blinking, the man walked towards the light, edging his way forward to sense any traps before they destroyed him.

Finally, he made his way to a railing. A row of lights on a mainframe beeped next to him, and took a glance at it before peering down into the dim, reddish darkness. His eyes went wide, and he gazed down into the void with new found interest.

Lava, red and bubbling, boiled. Magma churned and steamed, sending up clouds of phosphorous and carbon. The heat was stifling at this point, so much so was the liquid earth sending up waves of the stuff.

"By Kami..." Kimimaro started. But he couldn't say more. He was much too amazed. So that was how Orochimaru was supplying his city with heat and electricity! It came from the earth itself! Ingenious...

* * *

"You fuckers! Jashin will fucking rape all of you!" Hidan yelled out, slicing another mindless drone. He had been hard at it for thirty minutes now, and he was beginning to feel fatigue. They just kept coming. Endless hordes of them. He would kill one, and three more would take its place. There was no end! "Fuck! This sucks!" He twirled, Lopping the head off one and smashing his scythe into the face of another. A canine jumped up, biting him on the arm. His fist flew across his body, smashing the dog away. Another kick sent it flying back into the pack. Twirling his scythe, the white-haired man backed up, menacing the creature's with it. "Back off! I swear to Jashin I'll smite you!" They weren't listening, however. Another wave flung itself forward, and again, he repulsed it. "Fuck this!" Turning, the man began to run, feeling the very breath of the creature's on his skin. "This is just fucking great! Hinata's probably getting fucked right now, and I'm here...getting fucked! Fuck!"

* * *

"Akamaru, through here!" Kiba yelled, turning another corner. He had left Jirobo on the floor, figuring out that he wasn't strong enough to actually finish the job. Turning down another corridor, he quickly ran into a room, shutting the door behind him. Panting for breath, he glanced up at his pet, who was in the same position of being out of breath. "We'll hide in here until we can get out of this place. I have to get that tape the boss. He'll be thrilled with it!"

After a few moments of breathing, Kiba smiled, taking a look at the new room he was in. A large machine on the other end stood like a goliath. A huge piston hovered in the air, ready to pound something into a flat pancake. "Hm...wonder what this room is for?" Walking deeper in, Kiba took another look around. Large, steel disks were laid in a pile in a corner, shaped like CD's...but much too large to actually be CD's. "Hn. Interesting." Leaning over, Kiba took one, holding it up and glaring at his reflection. "Man, I look like a mess. No way a chick'll date me now!" A groan behind him made him gasp and turn. The door buckled inwards under a mighty smash, and Jirobo glared across the room at him, flexing a hand.

"I'm gonna enjoy ripping you apart, boy." His voice was still high-pitched, and he was still favoring his groin with a hand.

Kiba smiled, putting his arms across his chest. "Oh really...ma'am?" Jirobo glared daggers, yelling out his rage as he charged forwards, raising his hands up to smash the smaller boy into the ground. Dodging quickly to the left, Kiba turned, bringing his fist into the side of Jirobo's large, shaved head. All it did was hurt his hand. With a yell, he clenched his other hand about his injured appendage, willing the pain to go away. A fist crashed into his chest, sending him flying. He felt himself topple over onto a lever, and with a hiss, the machine started. The piston rose into the air slowly, crashing down and smashing into the conveyor belt. Jirobo smiled, walking over.

"I got's an idea!" Reaching down, he picked the boy up, walking to the conveyor belt and dumping him on. Kiba felt himself moving, but he couldn't move his body. Slowly, he was being taken towards the piston, and it rose into the air, smashing down a few feet from him. Jirobo clambered up onto the belt, looking down at him from his position from above. "This ain't gonna be pretty kid! You gonna get smashed real good!" The behemoth laughed, watching Kiba as he desperately wanted to move. But, it was no good. He just didn't have the energy to. He turned his attention to the piston as it rose slowly into the air once more. Now, his head was directly below it. In a moment, it would smash him to a pulp. "Say goodnight, kid! It's gonna be dog soup tonight! Bwahahaha!" Jirobo laughed at his own joke, and Kiba grit his teeth.

He couldn't beat him. Even if he managed to get off the belt, he would just get killed later on. He could fight...but he couldn't stand up to Jirobo's massive strength! With a sigh of resolution, he glanced up. Jirobo smiled down. "Time to go, kid!"

"You're right, big boy. Time...to go!" Twisting around, so that his feet now faced towards the piston, Kiba curled himself around, planting his foot squarely above his head. Jirobo's face twisted in agony, as his hand once again shot to his crotch.

"Oh...come on...again?..." However, he hadn't paid attention. In his agony, his head tilted forwards...straight into the path of the piston, which took that moment to slam down.

Jirobo's body gave a shudder as the piston crushed his head. Kiba gave himself a brief, splitting moment of satisfaction before the same piston slammed into his torso. Kiba screamed out, pain shooting through his body as Jirobo's corpse fell off to the side, hitting the emergency shut off switch on its way to the floor. The machine clicked over once, trapping Kiba's body underneath several tons of pure-grade steel.

The boy grit his teeth, taking each breath as it came. He could already see the blood pooling below. The piston had effectively crushed his legs and lower half. Coughing up blood, Kiba twisted his head, emptying his stomach onto the ground. Akamaru barked, hopping up onto the conveyor and licking Kiba's face with a warm, sticky tongue. Kiba smiled through the pain, giving Akamaru a small pat. "It's...it's up to...you...Akamaru. Make sure...he...gets that tape. You're...you're the only one...who can..." Taking another painful breath, Kiba took the uninjured tape into his hand, laying it on the belt. "Here...Akamaru. Take...take it! You...you have to!" Akamaru whined, glancing at the tape, and then back at his master.

The boy had been with him since he was a puppy. They had done everything together. Gone to the park...played...watched television. When Akamaru got into trouble, Kiba would take the blame. When Kiba got into trouble, Akamaru would sit on his bed with him. They were a team. Team's don't split up. Ever!

It was an hour later. Akamaru had curled up into a ball near Kiba's face, whining softly to himself. The boy had been dead for at least forty-five minutes.

But...he had spent his last moments...with his true friend.

* * *

Next Time: Sasuke begins to wonder where everyone has gone. He has not been notified of any intrusion...simply that it is a breach of security. As head of that same security, he wonders why he wasn't allowed out of the complex. Could Orochimaru be hiding something?

Next chapter: Discovery of the Heart


	35. Discovery Of The Heart

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 2: The Hearts That Burn**

**Chapter 7: Discovery of the Heart**

* * *

I awoke, a splitting headache pounding behind my eyes. What time was it? Everything was dark, for some reason. The artificial lighting hadn't yet turned on, though, for some reason, that wasn't what was bothering me. Something was happening. I could feel it. I didn't know exactly what was happening, but something.

"Computer, call Jirobo." My voice was cracking, and I could feel that my throat was parched. I had been sleeping with my mouth open again. I did that more and more frequently now-a-days.

The computer next to my head beeped once, and then a steady dial began to filter through. I sat, waiting, my head clutched in my hands. Thrice the ring echoed about my chamber, and thrice no answer came.

I eluded that the brute was watching another of his movies, which he did frequently when he was supposed to be on guard duty. Of course, any attack that came would have to get through the city first. I smiled to myself. With as many creatures that were out stalking the streets, I highly doubted that any would be able to get through alive.

Sighing, I turned back to the computer, yawning before typing something into the data banks. More for my own personal use than for any information gathering. Typing in the last key sequence, I added it to my personal log, saving and exiting the system.

"Computer, call Orochimaru."

"_I'm sorry, Uchiha-san. Orochimaru-sama is temporarily unavailable. May I be of further assistance?"_ That damn computer voice. It pissed me off. It felt human, and I hated that. I wish it was more...monotone. Something that I had picked up in the past few days.

"Computer, call Orochimaru. Now!"

"_I'm sorry, Uchiha-san. Orochimaru-sama is temporarily unavailable. May I be of further assistance?" _

I grit my teeth, balling my hand up as I attempted to calm the frustration that was building inside me. Orochimaru had told me that he was available for query whenever I felt like. What the hell was going on? "Very well, computer. Get me Sakon."

"_Dialing Sakon-san, Uchiha-san. Please hold..."_ I took a breath, listening to the dial tone.

"Hai, Sasuke-kun?" Sakon's voice answered me after barely one ring. Surprising, since he was usually training or helping the scientists in the laboratory.

"Sakon. What is happening right now? Where is Jirobo? Where is Orochimaru?"

Nothing occurred for the next few moments, as if Sakon was wondering this same thing himself. However, his answer did come, if reluctantly. "Sasuke-kun, there has been a breach of security. It wasn't something that Orochimaru-sama felt you should know about. It is being taken care of. Jirobo-san and the rest of us are taking care of it. Is there anything else?"

Highly annoyed now, I pressed him further. "Sakon, what do you mean that there has been a intruder breach? Why was I not informed?"

"As I said, Orochimaru-sama did not think you need be informed. We are your security staff. We are taking care of it."

Again, I was annoyed, not that I had been left out of the loop, but that I had been completely blindsided by this new turn of events. If Orochimaru wasn't telling me about security breaches...what else wasn't he telling me? "Sakon, where is Orochimaru-sama?"

Another pause. Far too long for anyone who knows the answer. Then..."Orochimaru-sama is...occupied." Sure he was. Another false lead. Another lie. "He shall be back momentarily. As I said, the breach is being taken care of. Do not worry."

Do not worry. That makes me worry more. "Sakon, come to my chambers. Now!"

"Why, Sasuke-kun? I am busy."

"You are too presumptuous. I am your commanding officer. You will obey me...or I will make you obey me." I figured that a show of force would be the easiest way to get obedience from my sub-ordinates.

Another long pause on the other end of the line. Then, something that I had never expected to happen...happened.

"_I'm sorry, Uchiha-san. You have been disconnected by the user on the other line." _I blinked. I took a breath. I blinked again. Had Sakon...just...hung up on me?

"What the fuck is going on around here?!" I yelled, attempting to alleviate my headache and my stressed mind.

Resolutely, after minutes of pondering my options, I stood, walking to the closet and throwing off my clothes for favor of my mission gear, consisting of a short kimono-like shirt and a belt that Orochimaru had given me. I tightened the belt, the microfibers of the belt moved into position, shaping into something akin to a deformed pretzel. "Right. Now to get to the bottom of this." Taking up my sword, which had been retro-fitted with a homing unit, I placed it into a hilt on my back, striding to the door and opening it.

Outside was chaos. Scientists wearing white lab coats ran to and fro through the corridors, writing down things as they bumbled from one place to another. I shifted myself, turning down another side passage.

_I have to find the security room. Once there, I can get to the bottom of this._ I twisted down another side passage, finding myself face to face with Sakon, who stood there, mouth slightly agape.

"Oh. Um...Sasuke-kun. Um...hi!"

"Not now. Follow me." I elbowed my way past him, hearing him follow step as I turned down yet another passage. _Curse the shit who made this place like a maze. This is bullshit..._

Finally, I found myself at the security room. It was one of the largest rooms in the place, so it wasn't so hard to find. However, as I stepped in, the first thing I noted was the broken pane of security glass that was there when interrogating prime witnesses or scientists. "What happened to that, Sakon?" I turned my head slightly, watching the man for any sign of movement. He shrugged.

"Dunno. Actually, after you called me, we got disconnected, so I came to look for you. That was the last thing I did." I huffed, but said nothing. There was no way we got disconnected. He did it on purpose. I would figure out that train of thought later. Right now, I had things to do. "Sakon, I want security video for the last six hours. I want to know what is happening in this place. Now!"

Sakon stood there, watching. Shrugging, as if he didn't know about what was going on, he walked to a nearby computer, pressing a button and standing back. "Here you go, Sasuke-kun."

I nodded, turning away from him to watch the screen. As the screen blinked on, I studied the picture.

After about five minutes of watching, I blinked. "Sakon. This is a security camera trained to the outside. Why are you showing me this? I need to know what is happening inside the compound." There was no answer from my security guard. Turning back around, I suddenly felt very...tired. As if someone had just injected me with drugs. Taking two deep breaths, I glanced down at the needle that was protruding from my arm, and then back at Sakon. "Sakon...I...I..."

"Hn. You don't need to know about this. I said that we were handling it. Why didn't you believe me?" He smiled, injecting me further with another needle full of whatever that stuff was. I blinked heavily, going down to a knee as darkness began to filter into my senses.

I smiled, laughing slightly in my drug-induced delirium. "So...this is...how it is...huh Sakon?"

Sakon shook his head, lowering himself down to my level to speak into my ear. "Sorry, Sasuke-kun. But, if you knew that your precious bitch was here, trying to ruin Orochimaru-sama's fun, than what would happen to you? He couldn't take that chance, so...here we are."

I cringed, feeling the drug beginning to work on my central nervous system. "Hinata. So...how...could that...be possible?"

Sakon shook his head, standing and cracking his arms. "Dunno. Don't really care, tell the truth. All's I know is, Orochimaru-sama told us to kill everyone that attempted to infiltrate the area. That's what we're doing. We can't have you or your emotions getting in the way. Orders, you know?"

I smiled, feeling the drugs taking effect on my eyesight and my talking abilities. It wouldn't be much longer, and I would go under. "Orders. Right...orders. Fuck orders. Fuck them..."

"No, Sasuke-kun. Fuck this world. Fuck this world and everything that it stands for. We will be the owners of this world, but until that time, you just have to be a nice little boy. A nice...little...boy..." I could hear him turn, beginning to walk away from me. More footsteps. "Have Sasuke-kun taken back to quarters. Thank you." An attendant nodded, and more feet sounded out closer. Silently, four pairs of hands picked me up, carrying me out the door and into the passageway.

Above me, the lights flashed, and the walls went by like a panorama. My head was swimming, and the jolting about that I was getting wasn't helping matters.

"He said to take him back to his room?"

"That's right."

"Great. We have to carry his stupid ass all the way there."

"Hey, Orochimaru-sama prizes him. Don't do anything stupid here."

"I know, I know. I just hate the fact that we have to do what he says."

"He's Orochimaru-sama's. We don't dare do anything against him."

"Right."

"Right."

"Hn. Right."

A few more steps, and then they dropped me. Not onto something that I was familiar with, such as my soft bed. This was harder, more foreign.

"I'm...hungry."

"So am I."

"Well then..." Moaning...groaning. In my blurred vision, I could see a distinct bluish haze. Eight of them. Small and round.

Eyes.

Four faces turned to me, and I could hardly do anything. I was at their mercies, even though I knew that they weren't capable of any. Four jaws gnashed, and they set themselves upon me.

_I...will not...die like this!_ That was my last thought. Then...

I saw red.

* * *

Next Chapter: Hinata has more than her fair share of problems with Tayuya, who shows that she has more than just her claws when she catfights. Kimimaro is attempting to destroy the complex once and for all, and Hidan must make a decision that could mean the difference between life and death. Lee is still trying to outdo Kidomaru, though, the fight becomes a little one-sided. What could Kidomaru have up his sleeves, or up his three sleeves?

Next Time: Thermal Explosion, Hope Lives!


	36. Thermal Explosion, Hope Lives!

**Resident Evil: The Naruto Project**

**Episode 2: The Hearts That Burn**

**Chapter 8: Thermal Explosion, Hope Lives!**

* * *

Grunting as her head connected with the cold concrete, Hinata felt a rib give way. One of the many injuries that she knew were piling up. Thus far, she hadn't been able to successfully land a jab that would cut the red-head's life off, and that sneer that plagued her was still plastered all over the girl's face.

Kicking a chair out of her way, Tayuya grinned down at the blue-haired girl, kicking her in the broken rib, as if knowing that the injury had occurred. "What's the matter, little prissy bitch? Are you done already?" Another kick aimed lower, smashing into ribs that weren't broken, but badly bruised. Hinata gasped at the pain, ducking her head to cough onto the ground. Was that...red? She must have internal bleeding by now, accented by the bright blood issuing from her mouth. "Get up, bitch! I'm not done with your raggedy ass yet! GET UP!" A hand grasped her arm, and the smaller girl felt herself lifted off the ground. Together, like a crazy mandolin, the two twisted, faster and faster, until Hinata couldn't see anymore. Then, she was airborne, flying through the misty vision that her enemy had given her. Hitting the ground, she tumbled, head over heels, until she was stopped forcefully by a wall. She coughed again, rubbing her mouth and staring with horrified fascination at the blood on her wrist.

Tayuya smiled again, kicking a broken table at the other girl before stopping mid-way through the room. Her smile became even more twisted, snarled, bending shape in the light that reverberated about the room and in Hinata's head. "You know, bitch? I was having fun. But I think I want some more! What do you think?" Not taking her eyes off the girl, Tayuya back-stepped, avoiding broken pieces of furniture and appliances in the once pristine office area. Walking to a wall behind her, she slammed an open hand against the smooth tile. All at once, a small opening appeared, some mechanism sliding down and leaving a hole where a whole wall had once stood. Tayuya, her arm about a foot above the aperture, had to bend down before shoving her hand into the back of the hole.

Hinata took each breath as it came, slowly, painfully. She could almost count the ribs she would need mended. She could almost taste the blood in her mouth, had her sense of taste not been knocked from her tongue. Her vision blurred, and she shook her head, counting a concussion on her list of injuries she had sustained. Slowly, her eyesight focused, and she was able to see what Tayuya had taken from the wall.

The girl smiled in triumph, holding a musical instrument in her extended fist. "This...is my flute. Sometimes, I let Sasuke-kun shove it inside me. It makes me feel extraordinary," the girl said, laughing lightly at her own sick joke. Hinata shuddered slightly.

_Where are you, Sasuke?_ Hinata could almost see his face, his eyes. Those piercing, red eyes. That face so full of sorrow and pain. Oh, how she wanted to scratch that face...to rip those eyes from their sockets.

"But," Tayuya went on, seeing the girl momentarily distracted by her thoughts. "I also have a certain ability that you may find interesting. Many of the workers here have been outfitted with a wonderful little chip. It sits here, behind the cochlea." Tayuya tapped her head, right behind the lobe of her ear. "That's the part that filters in sound."

"I know what the fuck a cochlea is, bitch!" Hinata screamed, attempting to right herself.

Tayuya found herself momentarily thrown off by the girl's outraged exclamation. _She...she just called me a bitch! That...that...bitch!_ Snorting derision, the flute came up to her mouth, Tayuya placing her index finger and middle finger on the second and third note holes.

"I hope you enjoyed your life thus far, Hinata. It's about to end." She gave a sharp intake of breath, exhaling slowly. The tweet of the flute bounced about the room, Hinata finally having made it to her feet as she glared at the red-head.

In truth, she rather liked the flute. In fact, of all musical instruments, it rated quite high with her. But, the way that this girl played this one. It was...horrendous.

The tinkling noise resounded, echoing down the hallways and corridors of the building as Hinata attempted to regain her lost energy. _Have...to...focus..._Slowly, her hands lost their feeling, and for a moment, Hinata was scared that she had overdone it and was now in a worse position than before. Then, she could feel her power come back. Slowly, slowly...then there! She smiled, thanking Kami for the energy coursing through her. She could even feel her ribs beginning to mend on their own. Perhaps another of the advancements of the virus, she thought to herself.

Tayuya had watched this was peaked interest, her hands still playing her melody. _This girl should be nearly dead with the amount of damage that I've done to her._ She snorted again, playing her last trill. _No matter, after this, there won't be any more of this shitty rat left._

"Tayuya..." The red-head paused, hearing her name echo through her mind. Hinata's head jerked up, her eyes veined and pulsing. "You...took away...my Sasuke-kun. You...you took away...my love! Now...I'm going to take...your life!" The girl ducked, beginning her run towards her adversary as her hands came back to force energy through the girl's body.

Out of nowhere, a slimy apparition wrapped itself around the girls back leg, dragging her to the ground. Her breath left her body as she stared at the girl in front of her, and then twisted to gaze at the licker that had her by the foot. "Wh...what?"

"My power," Tayuya said, her flute already to her mouth, "is to call on my 'friends' whenever I need them. So long as they are around," _and they always are, _she thought gleefully, "I can summon them to me." Another note, and another licker dropped from the sky-light above, the artificial light rebounding off of its hideous red skin. Hinata kicked out, catching the one that held her slightly below the chin. Not enough to stun, but enough to loosen its hold. Two quick jabs, and the tongue was paralyzed slightly, allowing her to roll out of its grasp and get back to her feet. By now, two others had joined the fray, each one bobbing and weaving to Tayuya's ragged music.

Hinata gazed across the room at the other girl, each breath threatening to shut down her lungs. Her ribs had stopped mending as her energy level dipped. "I thought...you said...that the workers..."

In-between trills, Tayuya chuckled. "They were workers, but Orochimaru-sama found a way to change the position of some of the DNA. Now, they're these things. The chips are working just fine. Right here," and now she placed a finger behind her own ear. "These are mine! There are hundreds of them here, hundreds! I have as many as I want! You...are dead!" She blew a sharp refrain, and the four lickers nodded as one, leaping into the air at the panic-stricken girl below them.

* * *

Hidan caught his breath behind a trashcan, listening to the roving bands of undead that were moving about on the street a mere few feet from his position. Glaring at his hand, which was slowly beginning to regenerate a finger he had lost to the bite of a overly fat female, he huffed. "This is just fucking great. Losing fingers and shit. Fuckers." Gripping his scythe in one hand, he chanced a peek out into the abyss. Two pairs of blue eyes glanced his way, but thankfully, they didn't see him. The two beasts continued on their way, still searching...still hungry.

Hidan had had enough. The mission was a complete and total failure. There was nothing more he or any of the others could do. For all he knew, the others were dead. Really dead. So fucking dead that he didn't even have a word to describe the dead. Bowing his head, he rattled off a quick prayer and blessing, crossing his arms over his chest in tribute. "Sorry Hinata, you big-breasted bimbo, but I ain't going to sit around, waiting for you anymore. Or for any of you other fuckers. I hope that gay kid dies. He was fucking pissing me off with his Elroy talk." Chancing another look out, he smiled. There didn't seem to be anything or anyone there. He had to get out of there...now!

Standing, he wiped off his arms and chest, picking up his scythe that he had leaned against the wall, and taking one more moment to honor his dead (or so he thought) comrades. Tipping his head at the empty alley, he smiled. "Here's to you, Hinata. I would have loved to have fucked you...but eh, whatever."

Turning back to the street, the white-haired man cautiously made his way downtown. He had to somehow get to a vent or some aperture to crawl back to the surface and get out of this hell-hole. By Jashin, he wasn't about to get killed for some weak-ass pansies who had him fighting some whole city while they were out having an orgy or something. Fuckers!

He took a side-street, angling back the way that he thought they had come. Then, there it was! A small vent in the top of the domed city! A ladder even went to it! He could hop on that ladder and be well away from this place! He'd just go back to the Umbrella Company CEO and explain that he had tried, but it didn't work out, and everyone had died, but he should get a raise and a mansion for his dedicated work, and all that! He smiled to himself, happy that he had thought of that ingenuous plan.

Suddenly, a yip on his right made him stop. Closing his eyes in anticipation of what he would see, he faced around, scythe gripped like a vice. "Ok. I'm getting out of here, and none of you fuckers are..." But, he stopped mid-sentence, seeing that his new enemy was...a small, white and black spotted dog? "Huh? Ak...Akamaru? What the fuck are you doing here? Where the fuck is that fuck Kiba?"

Akamaru barked again, a whine issuing from his mouth. Hidan blinked, his hand coming up to scratch his head in bemusement. "So...the fucker is dead, huh? Serves him right. OW!" A mouthful of teeth chomped down on his hand, and he flicked it, the dog doing a small somersault and landing gracefully on all fours. It yipped again as Hidan sucked a thumb, blood oozing out of a small bite-wound. "Bitch. Hey...what the fuck is that?" Noticing the tape that Akamaru had placed on the ground, he took it. "Wanna play fetch?" The dog shook its mangy head, letting out another yip. "No? Well, I don't want it...do I?" A shake and a nod. "I...I do?" Another nod. "Fine...fuck. More for me to do then. Fucking lame." Turning on his heels, he began jogging in the direction of the ladder, Akamaru trailing him. It didn't matter to Hidan if the fucking dog came with him. All he wanted was the sweet smell of freedom on the outside. That's all he wanted.

* * *

Kimimaro took a step back from the large control box that stood in front of him. Three dead guards sprawled across the catwalk. They had tried to stop his forward motion, but they had only barely turned before he had cut them down. Now, he stood in front of the master control of the whole city. It gave off energy that the man could feel emanating through the machinery. The metal hummed with power, the controls going back and forth as the energy coursed through the machine.

"Hm. How to destroy this thing?" Kimimaro asked himself, placing a hand against his chin in thought. If he could somehow destroy the main breaker that produced electricity for the city, along with every other vital technology. Medical, sewer, water...all of that! Produced right here!

Suddenly, a mix of messages shot through his head. Clutching his cranium in pain, Kimimaro crouched on one knee, his eyes blurring as words ran through his brain at lightning speed.

It was minutes later that they mercifully stopped, allowing the man to stand once more. Kimimaro closed both eyes, regaining his thoughts and gaining self-control. "I understand. It shall be as commanded." Both arms shot out to his sides, straight. His spine began to morph, squiggling and writhing as it began to expel something. Something metallic and foreign that he had not known to be previously there. His hands moved back, grasping the object and bringing it over his head.

What he held in his grasp looked like a stick, silvery and smooth. On one end, a small, red button. The other end stopped at a pointed tip. The object appeared to be a smooth, cylindrical rocket. However, Kimimaro's advanced knowledge of Umbrella Corp. technology told him otherwise. The man's eyes glared at the object for a moment before his smile returned. "Hn. Thermal nuclear explosive device."

The neural processor in the man's brain began to whir. Images, pictures, and sources of information began to rotate exponentially. Kimimaro's eyes began to close, taking in the information as the processor ran through it. Pictures of children, melting into the ground from the heat radiation. Deformed bodies walking through a decayed city. Knowledge on cell reconstruction as radiation changed DNA. A man bleeding from his rectum. A woman who lost both breasts in the fall-out. The death toll from Hiroshima. The death. The death. The death...

Shaking himself, Kimimaro grimly grasped the object in his hand, turning it over to the red button, glaring at him like a beacon. "If I press this, I kill hundreds of thousands of people."

_No brother. You kill hundreds of thousands of monsters._

Kimimaro's eyes perked, and he glanced about. "Who...who said that?"

_You never were able to take the initiative. You must destroy the abominations. You must destroy the evil. You must..._

"N...n...no! I can't! The innocent lives!" Clutching his head, the man stumbled, catching himself on a railing as his gaze drifted down into the molten rock flowing a few hundred feet below him.

_Brother, you have the power to end this! It is lying in your hand! Do this!_

His breath was ragged, and he could feel the tears pouring off his face. "I...I can't...do this..."

_Yes you can brother. Yes...yes you can! I believe in you! I believe you! I believe in the truth and the right way to do things! This place is evil! You must end it! You have the power! The power to end it!_

Kill everyone that lived within the city? How could he do that? "Do not ask me to do this...my brother."

_I wouldn't if it wasn't necessary. But it is. You know it is, and you know what has to be done._

A hand wiped a tear away. Suddenly, Kimimaro found himself gazing at a lonely boy, his arms twitching and itching. Slowly, his face changed. The gentle boy in front of him took on a more demented glare, staring at the white-haired man with disdain.

_You could never figure out anything for yourself! You were always a wuss! Even when I was five!_

"Don't...don't say that!"

_You are such a pansy-ass sissy! You need to grow up! Fucking figure out your life!_

"Shut...shut up!"

Suddenly, the boy turned back, his face belying the tired innocence of a child again.

_Brother...you...you must! Think about...think about what...what they..._

The man hit the ground, covering his face as his own tears flowed. "That...that was an...an accident..."

_Brother...please...you have to..._

"No! Don't!"

Suddenly, the change came over the boy again, and once again, red-rimmed eyes glared across. _You fucking idiot! You never were strong! Look what they did to me! To us! _The boy's arms came up, and Kimimaro could see the writhing flesh and bone. _I'm a freak! I...I was a freak! That's partly your fault to, brother! You said that you wouldn't allow them to!_

"I...I'm sorry..."

_You're sorry!? You fuck! You stupid ass fuck! What the hell do you know of being sorry!_

"Brother...I...I..." The change again. Tears. Crying.

_Brother...I can't...I can't see you..._

Alarmed, Kimimaro glanced up, seeing the boy's image fading into the black. "No! Brother!"

_Please, brother. Do this. Do this for me! Do...do it for yourself..._

Slowly, the boy's image faded. Slowly...so slowly. "Brother! Come back!"

_Goodbye...my brother..._

The man gave a jerk. Feeling bullets zing around him, Kimimaro grunted as two ripped through his chest. The bone and sinew melded, and he was once again whole. Glancing up at the two guards firing from the other side of the ravine, he sneered. "I will make you proud of me...my brother..." His thumb didn't waver as it slid up the device, ending up on the red button. Slowly, his thumb descended, pressing the button and locking it into place. As more ammunition splashed around him, Kimimaro sighed. More guards poured through, and the ones who were on the walkway began to push forward, firing all the way.

Standing to his full height, Kimimaro eyed them again, feeling two more bullets ricochet into his upper right thigh and his wrist. A quick fix. His right arm extended, becoming hard, thin...deadly. A timer began to tick down in his mind. A timer set for one hour. He had one hour to find any of his cohorts and leave the area before the entire base was annihilated in a nuclear holocaust. Bringing his arm up like a swordsman's salute, Kimimaro smiled. "Juugo...my brother...this is for you!"

The countdown had begun. One hour to set aside multiple destiny's. One hour to save the world.

* * *

Outside of the compound, Hidan continued to run, clutching the tape under one arm and Akamaru under the other. Spiteful as always, the albino man spat on the ground as he dodged behind another tree. "Stupid fucks. Have to get the hell away from here. Bastards." The sound of whining and snarling took over his senses, and Akamaru growled lightly from his position under the man's arms. Cursing again, the man took to his heels, feeling the ravenous packs of animals behind him beginning to catch up.

The _chop-chop_ of a helicopter blade turned Hidan's attention to the sky. The rotors whirred and whrummed as the helicopter proceeded to land. Hidan smiled. _At last! Those fucks at Umbrella send me some help!_ Behind him, the increasing fervor reached a plateau, and Hidan braced himself, twirling with scythe ready. Suddenly, the ground was ripped apart by the bullets of a repeating machine gun. The animals halted, squealing as blue eyes were dulled by the thud of metallic death.

When the killing was over, the ground bled green and red. The bodies of incapacitated animals littered the landscape, hideous in their death and the smell already rising. Hidan smiled, a tear dripping from his cheek. "That's...so...beautiful..."

"Hidan!" His name being called aroused the man's interest. Grabbing up the dog and tape again, he ran to the cockpit, hopping in.

"What the fuck are you waiting for!? GO!" The chopped took off, Hidan collecting his senses as he set the dog and tape down. "Wow, you fuckers sure take a long time, don't you? Jashin-fucking-sama! You..."

"Yes, we took a little too long. We apologize for that, Hidan. Very sorry...kukuku..."

The familiar laugh and voice made the albino freeze. Slowly, as if he hadn't heard right, or if the dog growling beside him wasn't enough evidence, he turned, eying his saviour. For a moment, he couldn't comprehend how he had hopped into a helicopter with...this man. This one man in particular.

"Or...Orochimaru!?"

"Hn. Glad you still remember my name, Hidan."

"Wha...what the fuck are you doing here?" His hand already was on his scythe, and for the first few, tense moments, he thought about striking the man down.

"Oh please, Hidan. You don't think that I would take you on board my personal helicopter to kill you, do you?" Orochimaru asked. His right hand held a cigarette, and he stopped to take a puff.

Hidan's mouth grew even grimmer. "You son-of-a-bitch. Do you fucking have any idea what lengths I went TO kill you?"

"Yes yes. I'm sure you have. But, I have an opportunity for you."

"An...opportunity?"

"Yes, Hidan. One that could make you very rich."

Hidan blinked. Rich? He liked the sound of that. But what were the terms of this...'opportunity'? "What the fuck do you mean?"

Smiling, as if relishing the thought that the white-haired man had fallen for his ploy, hook, line, and sinker, Orochimaru put down his lit cigarette, glancing across. "I have a business associate, and together, we are in the market to make a pretty penny. Now, this involves some hard labor, and a little bit of groundbreaking new technology. Of course, we aren't involved in any of it. Merely overseeing operations. You would be under us, but still be making your weight in T-bills each day. Now, are you interested, or not?"

Hidan thought about it. His weight in T-bills per day? That was...that...that was... "Uh. T-bills? You mean...thousand dollar bills, right?"

Snorting in impatience, Orochimaru nodded. "Yes, Hidan. Thousand dollar bills." _What a moron,_ he thought to himself.

Hidan went over the numbers in his head. _I weigh about 54 kilograms. That means...that means..._"Uh...how much does..."

"A thousand-dollar bill weigh? Don't worry about it. You'll be rich, that's all you need to know," Orochimaru said, taking a pile of papers from beneath the seat. "Now, if you'll be so kind as to initial here, here, and...here!"

Hidan took the pen that was offered enthusiastically, beginning to jot down his initials. Suddenly, in the middle of one signing, he stopped. "Hey. What about the others? The ones still down there?"

Rolling his eyes in exasperation, Orochimaru sighed. "They are going to die. The Umbrella Corp. has already seen to it. No one but you, I, and a select few will know that they ever went down into that hell hole. It was merely an experiment, anyways. It already has succeeded and gone into stage two. So, I don't need it anymore. Easier still to be rid of it."

"But...Hinata...Lee...Kiba..."

"They were...expendable, Hidan. Come now, did you really like Hinata or Lee?"

Hidan had to think about that. Hinata? Did he care for her? "Well...she does have a nice ass."

"Besides the physical things? Don't contemplate her breasts, either."

"Oh...well...when you put it like that. No, not really. The rest of the fuckers can die to."

"Wonderful! Keep signing!"

"Hey, what about Sasuke?"

"Hm? Oh, another casualty. I needed his DNA, and I've got plenty of it. Amazing what you can get from discarded skin cells on a pillow," Orochimaru said, playing with a corner of one of the papers.

As Hidan signed the last one, not bothering to read what was written, Akamaru barked, growling and lunging for Hidan's hand. Hidan felt the teeth sink in, and in a fit of rage, threw the dog to the ground. "Ow! Fucking mutt!" A swift kick sent it into the side of the helicopter, where it lay motionless for a moment before whining slightly. "Uh oh...I...I think I hurt him."

"Who cares, Hidan. I have a solution," Orochimaru said, casting a jaundiced eye at the man. "Press that button behind you."

"Where?" Rotating his head, Hidan saw the small blue button. "This one?"

"Yes, exactly."

"Well..." Nervously, the man pressed the button. A small compartment opened, and Akamaru, with one last, pitiful whine, was sucked out into space. The helicopter was quite a ways in the air. "Hey! What...where did he go?!"

"That's an emergency hatch, meant for quick escapes or when the helicopter is under attack. Charming, isn't it?"

Hidan blinked, staring out the window at the fastly growing smaller object free-falling from thousands of feet in the air. "But...he'll die!"

Orochimaru allowed himself a small chuckle. "Really? Do you care?"

Hidan blinked again, confused for a moment. Money...wealth...friendship with those he had fought with below. All the questions buzzed about his head. Slowly, he sat back down, digesting all of the information. All of it.

Then, he smiled, glancing up at Orochimaru one last time. "No...not really."

* * *

Next Time: Has Hidan really given up his soul to the devil? What about the others? Will they survive? The bomb is ticking, and Kimimaro has to find the others before its too late, or will he abandon them and save himself?

Next Chapter: Cards On The Table

A/N: Sorry for the EXTREMELY late update. I've been busy, and my computer was down for repairs for about 2 months. But, it's back, and so am I! Thanks for everyone who stuck with me! The story continues!


	37. Cards On The Table

**

* * *

**

Resident Evil: The Naruto Project

**Episode 2: The Hearts That Burn**

**Chapter 9: Cards On The Table**

* * *

Dodging didn't work. Neither did attacking straight out. Therefore, Lee's only real option was to run. Simply, to run just about as fast as he had ever run before. In his wake, a now three-armed man, trampling through any barrier that Lee attempted to put between them.

Sakon smiled crazily, slamming his weight into a table and sending it flying. "Come back here, you little worm! I'm going to rip you apart!"

Of course, that statement didn't do anything but energize Lee into an even faster gait. As far as the youth knew, he was going deeper into the laboratory. Of course, as far as he knew, the next turn would be a dead-end. If that came true, then he was as good as dead.

Nothing was working against the brute. No matter what he tried. The only thing he had seemingly done to Sakon was to cut off one of the man's arms. Of course, that did nothing but anger him. An angry monster was something that he didn't necessarily need.

Panting hoarsely, Lee took another left, each breath ragged in his chest. _I cannot be rid of this monster. Mayhaps I must lead him into a trap. A trap, set by myself. That could be it._ A chair flew through the air, and Lee was barely able to dodge as it smashed against the wall. Shards of broken maple flew through the air violently, and Lee gave a small grunt as a rather large piece embedded into his chest. His momentary lull in running gave the ogre behind him enough time to catch up. With a bound, the three-armed man slammed into his back, sending them both crashing into the ground. Sakon gave not a blink as his third arm grabbed the nape of Lee's neck, turning him around and bringing him in close.

"So, little rabbit. I've finally caught you. Now...how are you going to die?" Both of the man's remaining arms snaked out quickly, grasping Lee by both arms and holding him tight. "Should I...kill you fast?" Now, Kidomaru gave an agonizing yank, delighting in the painful scream that it elicited. "No? Didn't like that? Perhaps slowly." His right arm tightened as his left twisted, and Lee felt his tendons rip and tear. "Well, that's for the right arm. Now...about the left one. Hahahaha!"

* * *

Hidan stood at the entrance to an underground laboratory, a large Umbrella Corp. symbol above the door. "Hn. So, this is where the big fucking honcho is, huh?"

The man next to him snickered slightly. The white-haired man was nieve, that was sure. "Yes, Hidan. This is where the...how did you put it, 'big fucking honcho', is." Hidan nodded, watching as a retinal scanner opened on the door frame. Stepping forward, Orochimaru allowed the device to scan his retina, hearing the door click open. "Now, Hidan. If you will just give me that video. I'll take it from here."

Though he didn't really understand what was going on, Hidan consented, handing over the video tape. Orochimaru smiled, nodding slightly as he turned back to the door. "Very good, Hidan. You'll do well. Follow me." Stepping in quickly, Orochimaru waited for Hidan to step into the tight corridor as well, feeling the air squeeze by as the door shut behind them.

Hidan gave the corridor a premonitory glance before following the pale-skinned man down the well-lit hallway. "So, this head-honcho motherfucker. Who is he, exactly?"

Orochimaru smiled as his feet fell lightly on the marble ground. The lights flickered ominously above as they continued down the way. "No one knows who he is, Hidan. He keeps to himself, and gives his orders down the line from his room above. This will be the first time I will have actually been in his greatroom."

"...Greatroom? What the fuck is a greatroom?"

"It's what he calls his living quarters where he gives out all of his orders, Hidan," Orochimaru said. His mouth hung in a smile as they entered a large reception room, a woman on the other side of a desk typing diligently away. As she heard their footsteps, her eyes locked gazes with Orochimaru, who nodded. "Top floor, please."

The woman nodded, pressing a button on her desk as she continued with her work. Hidan questioned why she didn't at least ask who or what they wanted, but then, reasoned to himself that Orochimaru had gotten an appointment or something of the sort previously.

Stepping into the elevator, Orochimaru waited patiently. "Well, are you coming, Hidan?"

Did he dare? What he did next could very well carve a course for the world itself. What would the head of the Umbrella Corporation want from him? Why would the Umbrella Corporation be dealing with Orochimaru, the man who was responsible for so much death, killing, mayhem, and destruction? What should he do?

Slowly, Hidan took a step away from the elevator. "You know what, I've thought about it. This is some serious bullshit. I think I should just step away from this right now."

Orochimaru sighed, shaking his head. Three clicks from behind turned Hidan's attention away from the elevator, where a handful of guards were pointing large, dangerous weapons at him, each one powering up with a sickening wheezing sound. Hidan grit his teeth as he half-turned to the man in the elevator. "Fucker..."

"You took this long to grow a brain, Hidan? Well, I 'suggest' that you get into the elevator before you become...'disposable' as well." It wasn't a suggestion or an order. It was an ultimatum. Hidan smiled, balling his fists up.

"Bring it, you sadistic fucking snake! I'm fucking indestructible! Your puny fucking weapons won't do shit to me! I'll just regenerate my body...like I always do!" He began laughing, his scythe hanging lightly in his hands.

The short whistle through the air caught him off-guard, two needles burying themselves in his neck. A cry of shock cut through his mouth before he shut it off, clamping a hand to his throat and yanking the needles out. "You...fuck. What the hell was that?"

Two more guards appeared, each with dart guns in their hands. Four more darts went flying, imbedding in arms and legs. Hidan merely grunted, ripping them out and throwing them on the ground. His anger aroused, he twirled his scythe, menacing the men standing about. "Come on, then! I told you fuckers, I can't die!"

Orochimaru cut through his tirade with calm logic. "Of course you can, Hidan. Well, you can now, anyways." He stepped out of the elevator, pressing something on the inside before he did so. The elevator clicked off, remaining open on the ground level.

"What the fuck are you talking about, shit-stain? I can't fucking die! I'm immortal, damn it!"

"Wrong, Hidan. You _were_ immortal. You aren't anymore."

Hidan blinked, his scythe stopping in mid-air. The man straightened, still blinking in disbelief. "Wh...what?"

"What you were just shot with was the T-Virus antidote. Since you were given your unnatural ability to regenerate through the T-Virus, we merely took the T-Virus away from you, which makes you as naturally vulnerable to steel bullets as I."

Hidan growled, his scythe flipping behind him. "You fucking liar. I don't feel any different, and I'm going to fucking kill all of you assholes..." A blast rang out, a bullet embedding in his arm. Hidan screamed, his scythe dropping on the ground uselessly as he took a knee. His gaze went to the wound in his upper arm, the flesh flayed open as the sizzling of meat met his nostrils. However, unlike normal, when the flesh would merely knit itself back together again, the wound continued to pain him, continued to bleed...continued...to be! "I....you..."

"Now that you're just a mortal man again," Orochimaru began, taking another step into the elevator, "why don't you just step into the elevator. Cooperate, and we may infect you with the T-Virus again. You'll have your ability back...but only if you do as we wish." His hand went to the elevator controls, and he waited. Two guards came forward, snatching Hidan's scythe and taking it away. "You'll also get your weapon back. Now...come."

Hidan glared at him, standing shakily as another pair of guards walked up, grabbing him underneath each arm and frog marching him into the elevator. Orochimaru smiled craftily as his finger pressed the 'close' button. The door to the elevator shut with a soft whoosh of air, and the men felt their feet begin to shift as the elevator rose. Hidan took each breath as it came, the pain from his throbbing wound sending nerve flashes painfully throughout his body.

Gritting his teeth, the white-haired Jashinist glared up at Orochimaru, who gave him a small rising of the eyebrow. Even through the pain, Hidan was still able to smile. "When I get my ability and my scythe back, I'm going to fucking kill you..."

Orochimaru merely chuckled at him, turning his attention back to the numbers above, which showed which floor they were on currently. "I'm sure you'll try, Hidan. I'm sure you'll try..."

* * *

"Come on, Hinata! You have to try harder than that! Teeheeheeheehee!" Tayuya's laughter trilled out as Hinata dodged to the right once again, barely managing to dodge the tongue that threatened to bring her down. She had already killed four of the creatures, but another three had shown up, and slowly, they were wearing her down, making her unable to think clearly. She couldn't make a rational plan. She didn't have the time.

A mouth full of teeth shot out at her, the licker's small, beady eyes locked on her. Her form twisted as she caught the vile appendage, whipping it around and throwing it towards the other side of the room. Tayuya merely trilled another note on her flute, watching the licker thrown towards her twist in the air, hitting the wall and sticking like a fly near to her. Her attention went back to the blue-haired girl, and her eyes danced with merriment. "Face it, Hinata. You can't win this fight. You're going to die here, and Sasuke-kun will fucking be mine forever. You're...gonna...die!"

Hinata took another agonizing breath, taking a moment to wipe a small trickle of blood that came from a cut on her lip. "You'll never have Sasuke-kun. As long as I have breath in my body...you'll never!"

"Hn," Tayuya grunted, her flute coming to her lips once more. "I guess we'll have to do something about that then, huh?" Her flute trilled, the monsters attacked...and Hinata's hands began to glow.

* * *

"Come on, you little shit!" A green blur flew through the air, impacting on a wall and shattering the tiling. Lee grunted as his body hit the ground. He had gone beyond feeling pain, beyond feeling agony. His body was broken in so many places, he didn't believe that numbers went that high. He could only feel half of his body anyways, so the pain wasn't so bad. His neck was snapped, he could feel that. Of course, for some strange, and very disturbing reason, he wasn't dead. In fact, many of his injuries should have killed him. His snapped neck, his multitude of broken ribs, his internal bleeding. He was missing teeth, a large patch of his once glorious hair, two fingers, and probably other things that he wasn't quite aware of. Apparently, at the moment, all he could do was bleed.

Kidomaru grinned, cracking the knuckles on all three of his remaining hands as he advanced. "Well, kid. This was pretty fun. You make an excellent punching bag." Reaching Lee's still form, he bent over, picking him up and lifting him to head height. "I guess the fun is over now, though. I have to go and see where all your little friends are. Perhaps I'll find that bitch Hinata and rough her up some as well." Lee groaned something, and Kidomaru's eyebrow rose as he leaned in. "Huh? What'd ya say?"

Lee's mouth moved around the broken jaw and bleeding lips, forming words as best as possible. "You...won't touch...Hinata..."

Kidomaru smiled, moving Lee in closer. "Huh? Didn't quite catch that. Say again?"

"You...will not...touch...my...Hinata. She's...a...a...prin...princess..."

"A princess? That bitch? You're joking, right?" Lee's eyes shot open as Kidomaru's fist crashed into his stomach. "That 'princess' left you to die, man."

"Yo...you l...l...lie..."

"I lie? Of course I don't. I never lie." Another punch. "You need to learn when to respect someone. Especially when they are kicking your sorry ass." A mere throw, and Lee felt himself airborne. A window smashed as his body rocketed through it. The blood caught in Lee's throat as a lever pushed at him from behind. He felt it click over, and his back to the brunt of the abuse, another vertebrae snapping. His body flopped to the ground, and his eyes began to glaze over. A bottle on a tall shelf began to rock slightly, tilting precariously over and falling to the ground, shattering with a tinkling sound as it hit the hard permacrete. Lee's eyes didn't see Kidomaru on the other side of the glass, nonchalantly trying out a chair leg as a bat.

"This should do nicely, I think," Kidomaru said, taking a few swings in the air. Slowly, he bent over, picking up a piece of glass and embedding it deeply into the chair leg. "Hm. Nice spear. Didn't know I was so technologically inclined. Behold! I am man! Me make spear! Hahaha!" He began to stride into the room, opening the door slowly and taking his time to walk to Lee's fallen body.

Taking a few stabs in the air, Kidomaru nodded. "Well, kid. This was fun, but I'm afraid this is the end of the line for you. Have a nice time in hell. After I'm done with Hinata, I'm sure she'll be joining you. See ya!" The spearpoint glistened in the white lighting of the room as it rose into the air, Kidomaru's eyes dripping in blood lust. Lee's form was a perfect target, stretched out as it was on the ground. He couldn't miss!

Time seemed to slow down as the spear came down, Kidomaru never taking his eyes from Lee. The spear drove down...down...down...every millisecond getting closer to impaling the green-clothed youth through the side, ending his life in one fell blow.

Suddenly, Lee's hand whipped around, catching the spearhead and snapping it off. Under the force of the blow, Kidomaru wheeled backwards, throwing the wooden shaft away as he gazed unbelieving as Lee, who seemingly had been broken, beat, and battered just moments ago, began to lift off the ground, get to his feet, and face him.

But, his form was weaving...unorganized. It wasn't how the youth had been before. Lee's eyes roved about, the color appearing on his cheeks as his gaze fell on Kidomaru. "You...y-y-y-you won't ge...ge...get away -hic- from me!" Broken back, neck, appendages, and form began to weave, Lee's feet began to move, and he swung into action, coming at Kidomaru with unannounced force. Kidomaru's eyes opened wide as he blocked the first two punches, not seeing the leg coming up and catching him in the side.

_But...but how!? _His hands came up, warding off Lee's punches as the youth pummeled Kidomaru with shallow, but stable, force. Kidomaru's eyes roved the room, wondering what kind of chemical Lee had absorbed to become this frantic. His eyes stopped moving as they came across the bottle that had fallen near to Lee's mouth. _B...B...BOURBON!_ A fist crashed into his face, and he became airborne, flying through the open doorway and skidding along the flat ground, hitting the wall and ending his flight. Lee drove through the doorway, zigging this way and that as he advanced. _He's...he's drunk off of just a sip!? This is insane! Even drunk, how can he be this powerful!?_ Kidomaru's fists crossed across himself as Lee's fist smashed into them. The fist opened, grasping Kidomaru's arm as Lee's foot swung across, connecting with Kidomaru's head and sending him off to the side in a jumbling heap.

"You...you -hic- you'll com...com...come t-t-t-to ju-s-t-ice now, vile v-v-v-villain...-hic-..." The green clothed youth advanced again, going into a cartwheel. His cartwheel suddenly stopped, turning into a roll, which carried him forward. Suddenly, his roll stopped, Lee using his forward momentum to fly through the air, fist cocked backwards.

_This is some bullshit! _Kidomaru thought...as Lee's fist connected with his face.

* * *

Kimimaro catapulted down the hallways, slicing his way past armed guards and drooling creatures alike. His attempts to find his allies had, thus far, been fruitless. His eyes roamed to his watch, which was slowly ticking down the minutes. _Forty-seven minutes left. This isn't good..._

"Stop!" A guard whipped around a corner, taking a pot shot. Kimimaro's arms blocked, and as he ran past, forced themselves through the man's chest and out his side, leaving him to crumple into a pile in the hallway.

_Have to find them_. His frantic thoughts turned hectic as he made it to the end of a hallway. He glanced about, noting the walls of televisions lining the room. Stepping into it, his gaze roved over the walls and walls of glass, noting each one. _This is the security room. _Taking a seat, he studied each monitor, noting activity. Mostly, it was guards rushing around, attempting to maintain order. In forty-six minutes, it wouldn't matter.

Turning himself, he studied the next wall, trying to take in each screen faster and faster. His gaze took him to where Kiba's broken body lay underneath the piston of the machine room. Kimimaro took a moment to say a prayer for the boy, hoping that his passing had come fast and his life wasn't wrought with pain at the end.

But he had no time to worry about the dead. There were still three others. He had to find Hinata, Lee, and Hidan. He had to know where they were before they were killed...if they hadn't been already.

"Where are you!" He shouted, glancing about the room. A small motion caught his gaze as he turned. _There! _Hinata, struggling to straighten herself as a monster appeared to be gnawing on something in the background. A...a...chair leg! Hinata had wedged a chair leg into the monster's gaping maw, and it was struggling to get it out so it could attack! _She is quite resourceful,_ the man thought as he went through the camera locations. Subsection B, level 4. He turned, checking his own location. "Hm. I'm on subsection R, Level 3. I have to go up one level." Getting up, he took off, running out of the room and down the hallway. _I thought I saw a staircase this way. Do not worry, Hinata! I am on my way._

* * *

Kidomaru took another two blows to his already broken nose before he was able to attack, his third arm whipping around. Drunkenly, Lee weaved to the right, landing three punches to Kidomaru's midriff before hopping up, his leg shooting out and catching the three-armed menace in the throat. Staggering backwards, Kidomaru grit his teeth, spitting a stream of blood onto the ground before getting to his feet. "You're a little snot-nosed bastard, you know that?"

"I...I kn-kn-hic!-kn-know you a...a...are bu-b-b-b-but what -hic- what am I?" A chair flew through the air, smashing on Kidomaru's left. The man's attention turned to the shattering wood slightly, enough for Lee to close the gap between them, his hands going to the ground. His body leaned up, his feet flying through the air and connecting with Kidomaru's chest. The two fell to the ground, Kidomaru bringing up two of his arms to ward off the brunt of the blow while the third went behind him, attempting to stifle some of the force of his landing. With Lee falling on him as well, the one arm couldn't bear their weight, and with a sickening crunch, broke at the elbow, bending backwards. Kidomaru gave a strangled sob, using his mighty strength to push Lee off of himself as he straightened out his arm, feeling the bone grind.

Hopping up, Lee wobbled slightly, his eyes glassy. Kidomaru rolled on the ground, getting the hard permacrete underneath his chest and pushing off. His third arm hung uselessly above his head, limp and broken. A small tear coursed down Kidomaru's face as he came to grips with one of his own weaknesses. _My extra arms are more powerful, but have far more pain when damaged. _His left arm was severed, and his extra right arm was broken. It just left him his extra left arm, and his right arm connected to his shoulder. Making a fist, Kidomaru glared at the youth in front of him, who continued to bob and weave. "I'm going to tear you apart, kid!"

"You...you...ssssuuuck..." Slowly, Lee sank to his knees, then to his face, his mouth spurting out something unintelligible. Kidomaru blinked as a snore erupted from the boy, his frame going up and down lightly.

Blinking again, Kidomaru took a step forward. Then, he took another. Then, another. _I...I don't get it. He's...sleeping? _He took another step, more cautious now. "Hey! Brat! Get up! I know this is a trick! Come on!" However, he got no answer from the sleeping Lee, who continued to snooze away. With Lee's newfound exhaustion, Kidomaru got a burst of confidence. "Well, that's more like it! Now, where was I?" Grabbing a chair, he broke it, taking the wooden leg in his hand. "Just like a fish. Heh." Walking boldly forward, he knelt down, getting his bearings. One strike, and Lee's brain would be more scrambled than an egg in the morning. "So easy..." The wood came up, ready to strike down.

Lee grunted slightly as he twisted, his eyes still shut. A piece of glass was stuck in his hands from where he had fallen, held like a knife. It plunged upward, and Kidomaru's eyes followed its progression.

Before he even felt it pierce his throat, he wondered to himself. _How the fuck does a sleeping kid..._That was as far as his mind got. The glass scraped noisily in his ear as it pierced through his skull, slicing up and through his cranium and gouging a place for itself in his cortex. Kidomaru's eyes rolled upwards as his lifeless body fell forward onto Lee's form, the boy coughing as his eyes shot open. For a moment, the room spun as Lee's chest erupted into fire.

As he got under control of himself, he staggered out from the man's weight, taking each breath as it ripped through him. "H...how did...did I..." Kidomaru was dead, pierced through the throat with a piece of glass. His body was torn apart, and he didn't know how long he'd be able to live. Though, knowing he had killed his torturer was a great confidence booster. "I...I did it? Verily, I am...am tougher than...I gave myself credit for. Now...to find my princess!" However, his body wouldn't respond. His broken back and neck suddenly made themselves known, and with a cry, Lee went back to the ground, his panting in pain sending shock waves of agony through his frame. His eyes half-closed in unceasing torture, he sighed. "Maybe...I'll just lay here...for a while."

Thirty-nine minutes and counting...

* * *

Next time: Sasuke has had just about enough from Orochimaru's subordinates. He runs into Sakon and demands an explanation. What he gets is a fight to the death. Who will turn out victorious? What kind of attacks does Sakon have?

Next chapter: Twin Terror


End file.
